Stepping in, stepping out.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
I have to echo Jeff's excitment and feelings of encouragment. There is dialogue happening, people are thinking and sharing thoughts, I have had such a great sense of hope from many good conversations. There is a common discomfort, and I think there are a lot of people feeling it, and this is where we can start doing something about it. Revolution is happening.About change.
If change is going to happen, a need for change has to be realized. To realize that need, there needs to be an understanding of why things are the way they are, and why they need to be different. I agree that we need to start with ourselves, and I think part of that is working to understand the times that we are living in. Understanding how things are and why they are as they are. We need to dig to the roots of how we've been led to where we are, and then begin to dig them up from that very bottom. Then we have to create realization that relationship is something vital, something that is damaged, and something that is lacking in the way we are.
We need to know what we are opposing and pull it apart. If indeed it is capitalism that we are opposing, then we need to understand capitalism, and how and why it has shaped our world the way it has. We need to think about what it is about capitalism that we are actually against, and how it got to be that way. Maybe its not capitalism, I don't know. Read some books perhaps, talk to people, find your personal discomforts and work through them and share any thoughts.
How can we cause a need for change?
Right now, there is so much ingrained into our minds that it is difficult to see another way of living, or another way for our society to think. Something has to be done to break the bubble, and to allow others to experience the reality of something other than our current norms. Rosa Parks, during a time of racial segration in Amercia, started a revolution by refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a city bus. We could start a revolution by talking to our neighbours on the bus. Think about how things are, and how they should be different, and how that difference can be exemplified. Maybe we will need to start randomly hugging people, maybe we will need to make a commercial, maybe we will need to win the lottery and give all the money away... think out of the ordinary. Maybe this will happen some other way, so far outside the box that we can't see it yet. I don't know, but let's dig for it.
A slightly different note...
A thought of confusion.
Individualism, or primary concern for the Self is a problem. However, we are all made to be individual from one another. There is an important aspect of individuality that should not be lost. But then, how can individuality exist and be encouraged without promoting individualism? Capitalism allows for freedom for the individual, which is a good thing I think, however, it's negativity comes when compeitition and self interest lead to an importance on benefiting a sole person without regard for others. Capitalism at its core may not be the problem, but rather the way we use it, and the way we think within it. Do we change the system? Perhaps I may be speaking hastily because I know very little at this point, but I thought I'd throw something out there because I'm very interested to hear anybody's thoughts.
Random tangent...
I think this revolution needs to begin within the Church. Not the institution, but the community of believers, unified by a common pursuit of a relationship with God. Beginning, perhaps, by encouraging and understanding one another outside of preconcieved expectations and definitions of each other, coming together, working together, powered by prayer for each other. I really liked what Michelle had to say about the body, and I think we need to find and take out the Self in the institutional religions, find the genuinity of relationship with God and the relationship of our individuality to the body, and build that as our base. Maybe this is a sub-part of the revolution, but an essential root I think, or vital base.
I feel disorganized in my thought. I think I am unsure where to focus, what to focus on, how to focus our intentions into realistic action. Maybe that's ok right now. I'm not sure, but lets keep talking.
6 Comments:
yes.
I concur.
I had been hesitant, or perhaps just a little bit unsure about how to, shall we say, make the church the place to start this. I didn't want what we say here to be exclusively 'religious' because I think it's important for non-believers to take action as well. However, without adding Christ into the mix, everything was somewhat lacking.
Soo, I was glad that you said that this needs to start in the church. I agree. The church needs to lead, we need to set an example for good stewardship, and true generosity and real community and unity. For me, those are 4 things that are essential in this revolution. We need to see our responsibility to manage what we have well. We need to experience and share the real generosity that Christ was preaching. We need to be unified and relational.
Hmm. I felt that you put your thoughts into words wonderfully. Thanks Jill.
And, I'm out.
"Right now, there is so much ingrained into our minds that it is difficult to see another way of living, or another way for our society to think."
Leading by example. Honestly if you want to get a message accross to people the way to do it is just that, not just preaching something to me.
I find this revolution kind of interesting but at the same time it seems quite hypocritical. In the same way that Christians preach something to me and then don't do it themselves you know?
I'm not saying that you have to take a super radical approach to prove to me that you're serious although getting rid of all your stuff is a cool idea... hehe. But there has to be some visible sacrafice that I can say "Yeah totally he/she gives so much of the money they make to Mustard Seed or something. That of course is quite hard to show people like myself, but there are other things like selling your car and walking around. I am by no means a tree hugging environmentalist (That's Eric) but it would be a huge thing to give up, the convenience of it all and what not.
People before product kind of caught my eye and I was wondering if it relates to something that I find quite annoying about people. When I was working (haha, briefly) I couldn't stand putting work before people as in if I had to work that evening and someone said they wanted to hang out with me, I'd cut work. In most cases though I find people say all sorts of things like "I need to go to bed, I have work tomorrow" and such. Now if they actually wanted to go to bed just because they were tired that would be fine but what that sentence basically says is "I value work more than our relationship". Fucking wake up people. Jobs are just jobs and money is just money, it's all bullshit. Don't believe that you have to have a job and NEED stuff to survive because you don't. You'll wake up one day and realize that times you could have been building relationships with people you opted to sleep instead and your going to feel like a moron.
I ordered bracelets.
They should be here soon.
We will share them.
:D
thanks Ian.... I know what you're saying and I needed to hear it again.
At this point, I am still trying to work out what this whole thing is going to mean in terms of change in my own personal life. I have to be honest and say that I have no clue. I can hardly think of one thing to do, that I'm not already doing, that I need to do in response to this.
That does not reflect at all on my level of perfection but more on my level of huge lameness and selfishness.
Right now I'm trying to address the area of my attitude here. I think thats where I need to start. This revolution was not intended by me to be preachy but more to be a means of finding out what I need to do to fix my life. It hurts when I get called on not putting my words into action - because its wayyy too true.
I don't know what to do... I hope that I'll figure it out soon.
First off I have to figure out all these screen names. It's weird that people I know can be strangers on the internet because no ones blogs have their name on them lol. So yeah, Michigan Little, no idea who you are.
Fable I kind of figured that someone would make a post like yours talking about needing how having money allows you to care for people even better. I definitely agree (Is that contradicting myself? lol) that being able to pay for someones dinner or buying them coffee is a great feeling. As far as your car and giving people rides. In your case you are very very generous with that kind of thing and so it makes sense to me that keeping your car would actually be a benefical thing right? There is also a good majority of people who would use that excuse but maybe give 2 people a year a ride... So yeah mad props on the use of your car.
Also people when reading my posts remember that I am incredibly opinionated and don't actually beleive half the crap that I say so try not to exploded on me if I cross a line with you.
Also Fable you brought up being a burden to friends several times. I don't think you need to be a burden to your friends if you don't have money, but your right that it does make it harder not having money. I'm not sure if what you said was some kind of shot at me but I decided not to worry about it.
hey jill,
were you reading from this blog when i was talking to you on the phone. you are hecka silly.
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