So I am now back in the US after 6 months in Europe, and what a relief it is to be back! Not only because I am working again and get to see my fiancee often, but I forgot how free we are in America! If someone wants to do something here, they can, and though it has its disadvantages for the victims of hedonism, freedom is a blessing for the rest of us.
I am thinking about how to integrate the Christ-like principles I learned from life there into life here with a different mindset and practices. Like having to see how much I have depended on material possessions for my security and peace of mind. When the ability to affect the state of these things was lost by leaving the country, I had to trust in the Lord, and I realized how difficult it is.
I have also come to see how prosperous our culture is, and even myself. Though I have never lacked, I never saw myself as rich until I visited countries where poverty means something different. I think it would be more striking to visit southeast Asia or Africa.
I have also been convicted about the extreme waste that we as North Americans support for convenience sake. Though the Bible doesn't say too much about this, I can't help but feeling guilty for using so much and throwing away more. A friend of mine just started working for 1-800 GOT JUNK and he was telling me how much almost new stuff he sees ditched every day. I think it says something about a culture when we can hire people to not only deliver new things, but to also take away the things we don't want to trash them simply because there is an excess. It used to be that things were consumed when there was a want or need. Now, consummation is an addiction, maybe even an a god
Should Christians be setting different trends? Why?
Monday, March 17, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)