Colin P. Fagan

Capitalism is a both an economic philosophy and an economic process. I am not thoroughly educated to it’s nuances, but suffice to say that when we involve our money in investing we can get more in return; when we work we accrue money which can be invested, saved, spent, etc. The more a person(s) work, the more money they can—and at times do—receive. To generalize, capitalism has been the thriving backbone of American commerce, wealth, entrepreneurial attitude, and positioning as leading economic power. Granted, this power is dwindling due to our current economic situation, but historically we’ve always been fiscal frontrunners. It is this process that underpins the great American dream.

However, capitalism is not a living organism; it is “living” to the extent that it is a process that creates more of something, but you cannot talk to Capitalism; you cannot tuck it into bed or read it bedtime stories. It is not going to call and find out how your family is doing or if you had a good day at the office. It is amoral and amotional. Yes, we interact with capitalism everyday as we spend money and consume resources, but it is in this economic exchange that the delicacy of the process becomes apparent: We are what make the process go, but mishandle the process and it blows up in our face.

When humanity controls a process it can reasonably be assumed there will come times when it is mishandled and abused. The manipulation of Capitalism is one amongst many examples where people have abused something. What makes the abuse poignant is that it is knowingly done at the cost of everybody else and it is here that Capitalism has come under fire. When in 2007 credit card companies received some $30 billion in profit and families carry an average of some $13,000 in household debt, it makes sense that people want change. But where does the change begin? Is it possible our inability to handle our own money correctly correlates to a nation that is confused on how to handle its own resources?

It can be asked, “what about Bernie Madoff, CitiBank, Fannie and Freddie, Enron and all the other individuals and corporations that took advantage of people?” It is a good question, and points to the most important barometer of American culture: we no longer care about ethics and responsibility. Capitalism is a process, and in the hands of ethical, responsible people it benefits thousands, if not millions. But put it in the hands of unethical, irresponsible people what do you expect might happen?

But how do we know who are ethical and responsible people? In short, we don’t. But the reason we don’t is not so much that we can’t read someone’s mind or heart, but because we ourselves are equally unethical and irresponsible. $30 billion profit for credit card companies did not come from a small percentage of Americans, but a large percentage of Americans; the foreclosure crisis did not happen because of a few, but because of many. Now are there exceptions, of course, but exceptions are rarely the majority. Debt on this level does not just impact the individual, but it changes the community. In our thoroughly individualistic country we are blind to this inter-connectedness. We think our island is our island and does not impact anybody else. But as America goes through economic refinement we should realize all those islands are actually a nation connected and our irresponsibility has impacted our families, our neighbors, and our entire country.

So what do we do? Do we go conservative? Do we go republican? Do we go Democrat? Do we go liberal? If you want to, ok. But the change actually needed is not so much a political shift, but an outlook change. We have to get to a place where we see that our actions or inactions don’t just impact mine, but they impact yours as well. This is not a political philosophy, but a worldview perception. It changes not just how we interact with a process like Capitalism, but how we interact with existence. Ethics are important; laws are important; government is important; but they become meaningless if we forget our neighbor and those down the street.

To complete my negotiation class I was required to write a paper dealing with a negotiation strategy in a sphere of influence; I chose Paul's strategy and technique in his letter to Philemon. I wanted to share an excerpt from that in order that we Christians might consider a Biblical frame for how to handle certain types of conflict that might arise in our environment. I would encourage anyone to do a thorough analysis of the letter. It is the smallest of Paul's correspondence and is packed full of instruction.
Here is the brief excerpt with the scriptural section I referenced:

(8) Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do
(9) Yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—
(10) That I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.
(11) Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me
(Translation from TNIV)

"...The instructive nature of the letter begins as Paul introduces the issue of Onesimus. Paul is specific in his wording of the situation: slave to son, useless to useful. The fantastic word play encourages Philemon to view what God did with Onesimus. This will continue into the next collection of verses, and as mentioned earlier, Paul believes, based off Philemon's character, that he will interact differently with Onesimus. It is also important to notice that Paul does not use his wisdom to lambaste or condescend Philemon. The relational tone he started the letter with will not change. What is significant for us Christians to remember is that not once does Paul play the “God card”. I often hear of people who get in arguments with fellow Christians and some form of “well, God showed me this or told me that so you can’t say anything…” will be used at some point in the argument. This “trump card” is not only hurtful to a constructive negotiation, but St. Paul—a person who had the authority to do so—gives up that right."

Last night I had a fantastic conversation with my wife and neighbor about the pulse of scripture being relationship with God; the scripture refers to this as “knowledge of God”. In an age where social activism has become a popular pursuit, we’ve lost the golden nugget that the real purpose of Jesus is bridging the relational gap between God and man. We are constantly concerned with thoughts including, “what I’m supposed to be doing for God,” or “ If I am not doing something to change the world, I am not doing God’s will,” but these considerations are laced with the idea that we have to do something in order to gain something from God. This is legalism: Doing good things believing that by doing them, I get something in return.

I need to caveat for a moment. Good deeds are not a bad thing or unnecessary. The issue that arises is that people who don’t know God do good deeds as well. If the barometer for “true Christianity” is the number of good deeds done, then everybody is going to heaven. Secondly, good deeds are not limited to the grandiose actions of feeding the poor or eliminating human trafficking. The husband and wife that are intentional in practicing their love for one another are fulfilling righteous deeds equal to the former. (I am of the opinion that in our promiscuous culture a faithful, growing marriage is equally, if not more important, as the lavish social issues. This is obviously debatable, but please remember the supposed “assault on marriage” is not from the devil, but from years of marriages falling apart. Do you think marriage would be under “assault” if more and more marriages were seen as happy, comforting, loving, and freeing?)

To return to discussion:

If the target of scripture is opening the pathway for interactive relationship with God, where could we be missing the road?

After being baptized and tempted, Jesus called 12 disciples to follow him. In Jewish culture of the time, discipleship was a common practice. But what is it exactly? When we study the Gospels we find the disciples being taught about God and witnessing Jesus as he did the work of God. All of this was done in an intimate, consistent relationship with Jesus. It engaged the person’s head, heart, and body.

Head = Jesus teaching;
Heart= Relationship with Jesus;
Body = Working alongside Jesus.

All of it revolves around Jesus, which ultimately means it revolves around God. But here is the catch. Before the disciples were allowed to go and do the work of God, they first were disciples in relational interaction with Jesus; they received thorough theology as well as intimate love. The disciples had to go through an intense three-year period, and at it’s end, a brief time before he would be put to death, Jesus cleaned their feet, and looking deeply into their eyes with a love many of us have never experienced, he told them they were no longer disciples, but his friends.

For many of us, we feel like the hard knocks of life that have come from being in relationship with God will never end. Discipleship for the 12 included crossing a sea during a terrible storm, being found foolish when they assumed Jesus could not feed thousands, and even being called Satan. Jesus challenged and catalyzed immense transformation in every ounce of their personhood. We should expect the same in our own lives. Now, does that mean every bit of tragedy we experience comes from God? No. But it does mean that as we push through life, we should expect tough cards to come our way. The disciples followed Jesus no matter how foolish they looked, how scared they were, how much their pain attempted to pin them to ground. They kept being taught; they kept listening; they kept trying; they kept failing; they kept succeeding; they learned to love Jesus harder, deeper, and with such reckless intimacy, that when they were finally allowed to do the work of God, a tiny group of men and women would change the course of history forever.

From Disciple to Friend; from Platonic to Agape…

CPF

With the health care debate capturing headlines let me mention something worrisome:

We cannot be hasty, nor pushy, in wanting this health care bill passed. I recognize this is an area of our socio-economic climate needing scrutiny and revision. But the character used approaching such a monumental overhaul cannot and should not be handled in a hasty way. With the CBO stating the bill will cause large deficits, this is not a time to force legislation through congress but to be methodical and persistent in creating the best, most sound legislation possible. If it must wait until after the August recess, so be it.

History is not kind to hasty decision making and if we want to make health care sustainable, efficient, and hands above the rest, we need to continue forth in a productive tempo with agenda's put aside.

Love is not an Automaton:
It is not a Nihilist,
It is not a Relativist,
It is not Erotic,
It is not a Kiss, nor Emotive Bliss.

To assume It is the give-and-take is folly;
Fools claim they haven’t the need.
Humanity holds It with jealous fingers:
They want It but aren’t willing to gain It.
Agenda’s call for It,
Blind acceptance is defined It,
Yet escapes them all.

Love is a mirror,
Reflecting our inability to give It.
We make promises, covenants,
And they destroy us.
Meant to create us,
We create them.
We create ourselves.

We made love.
Love made us.
We think ours is better.

Love is an Atmosphere,
Heavy on those who want It,
Destroying those who don’t.
It’s air makes our speech foolish,
The silence helps the heart sing.

Man is not Love,
Measure It not by my actions:
Greed.
Murder.
Pornographic.

Our love is a mausoleum of bronzed demagogues.

Love doesn’t lose hope when forgotten:
The hand bridges a canyon to a crumbling humanity,
It can help…if we are willing.
From our pedestals will we fall?

The souls cosmic chaos lunges for renewal,
Singing for restoration.
Love hangs,
Calling out.
It is willing to reject Itself,
Believing we will accept.
The atmosphere could save us:
Usher us into a world we didn’t create,
A world fashioned by unique hands.

The invitation has always been with us,
We just don’t want to answer.
Love stirs in and above eternity,
And we will continue to reject.

How long will Love bare with us?

I wanted to pass on the website, Academic Earth. It contains free lectures from professors from Princeton, Yale, MIT, Harvard etc. There are a variety of subjects discussed and all are in video format. I just started listening to a lecture from Dr. Alan S. Blinder on the economic crisis. It is an interesting site so check it out.

Two considerations to ponder:

1. If humanity were to ever cease on the planet, nature would eventually destroy all remnants of their existence. Gives new meaning to the phrase, "built to last."

2. The Jews are God's chosen people. Paul reminds Christians we are grafted in to a lineage that is not Gentile in origin. Yes, Christianity is different in its claims than Judaism, but without Judaism you have no Christianity. From the beginning of history, the Jewish people have lived amongst the majority of the empires that have risen and fallen. This relatively small populace has outlasted them all.

Once more: Gives new meaning to the phrase, "built to last."

Interesting what happens when God is responsible for something: It perseveres, it perseveres, it perseveres.

What are we hoping in?