GOE 4: Contemporary Society

Limited Resources: Annotated, non-electronic one volume Bible (e.g., Oxford Annotated Bible, HarperCollins Study bible)

“Affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.” (John de Graaf, Thomas H. Naylor and David Wann Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic [San Francisco: Berret Koehler publishers, 2002], p.2.)

The term “affluenza” has been coined to name the contemporary societal disease of over consumption in our culture. In a three-page essay address the problem of affluenza from a biblical, theological, and global perspective by including the following:

What are three examples of affluenza in our society today?

What are some of the global consequences of our society’s dogged pursuit of more?

Choose three biblical texts or stories which help you understand the problem of affluenza then employ them to answer this question: As a Christian, what is your response to affluenza? Offer biblical and theological rationales for your response.

Finally, in the midst of our consumer society, where is the Good News?

That our society currently exists in a state of over-consumption is beyond question. At
the same time it has become increasingly difficult for low-income families to achieve stability
and improve their condition or their children’s opportunities. There are many reasons for this
situation and multitude of examples that demonstrate over-consumption in our society. There are
three examples that stand out particularly well in our context however. The first of these may
seem like an old hat given its prominence in political debate over the past few years, but its
importance is clear, namely oil. Another example of over-consumption lies in the realm of
corporate farms and the attendant environmental and economic damage that often follows them.
Finally, an example of poor consumption resulting in over-consumption of other resources: the
growing trend of expensive homes and businesses being built in areas of the country that are
most susceptible to natural disasters, that therefore place a strain on the economy for their
restoration.

Much of our current situation has as one of its causes the current trend toward ever-
expanding capital markets and the resultant need of companies to expand in order to survive in
the global system. In the case of the United States, our economy is built upon the back of an
interstate and international commerce system that depends upon fossil fuels. America is a
driving society—we tend to live much farther from our places of work than our global
counterparts, and drive more frequently and greater distances than people in other countries. As
a result of America’s mobile lifestyle we consume an amazing amount of gasoline each year.
Political perspectives aside, it is impossible to argue that American foreign policy has not been
dramatically shaped by our economy’s dependence upon fossil fuels. Internationally the
dependence of other countries on fossil fuels is becoming more apparent, for while they may not
consume as much fuel as we in the United States do, their economies too are dependant upon it,
as recent difficulties between Russia—a developing supplier of oil—and the Ukraine
demonstrate.

The continued growth of capital markets means that corporations, if they wish to survive,
must grow. This growth trend is driven by the need for collateral to maintain value and expand
credit. If one takes the agriculture industry as an example, there has been a marked trend away
from family or small farms and toward large corporate farms. The reasons for this are manifold,
but largely it hinges upon the tendency of global markets to encourage larger corporations and
the inability of small corporations or privately owned companies to compete. As farming
became more mechanized small farmers were forced to invest in larger and more expensive
pieces of equipment to compete with their corporate competitors—who, because of their
structure, maintained a deeper pool of credit. This situation worked until economic down-turns
left the small farmers unable to pay their creditors and forced them to sell out to larger
conglomerates. Internationally, small farmers in Poland and other eastern European countries
are experiencing this scenario as the European Union expands. Many farmers, after regaining
their land from the communist era government, are once again facing the prospect of loosing
their farms as they attempt to compete with larger agriculture corporations by taking out loans to
buy equipment and meet new EU mandated health regulations. An additional cost of such
activities is that in their desire to compete in global markets, many poor nations are tempted to
cultivate more and more land (arable and non-arable), sometimes cutting down indigenous trees
or rain forests to do so. Many times these countries are thinking of short-term profits and neglect

to implement sustainable environmental practices, and as a result there is an increase of
desertification in regions such as South America.

Another issue that speaks to our current state of “affluenza” and the strain such
consumption places upon society as a whole, is the increasing number of Americans who live or
own second homes in regions of the country which are prone to natural disasters or have limited
natural resources. No doubt this is an unpopular issue to address, but it is one that is keenly felt
after the recent hurricanes and becomes more and more clear every time California experiences a
drought. Because only the wealthiest Americans can afford to live in many of these desirable
locations—mostly in Florida or California—the prices of land and buildings are very high; as a
result, whenever a natural disaster strikes, the cost of clean-up and restoration is very high as
well. The high cost of this clean-up costs Americans in two ways; first, it results in higher
insurance costs and secondly, federal disaster relief money is funneled into these areas to aid at
restoration.

The second of these issues is more applicable to California than the first, and it relates to
the availability of natural resources, specifically water, to supply areas such as Los Angeles. As
the recent book Water Wars illustrates, water as a resource is extremely important and will
become more so as populations increase and vie with one another over its limited quantities. The
question of over-consumption as regards water becomes important in areas such as LA, not only
because water is rising in value globally, but also because of the stress the consumption of so
much water can place on the environment surrounding Los Angeles and her water sources.

Each of these examples of societal “affluenza” serve to illustrate how important it is that
Christians seek wisdom, pray and discern how best to live their lives. Although it is incorrect to
argue that life is a zero-sum game and there is no way capitalism can be positive—there is much
to admire about the system, especially in comparison to others that have been attempted during
the 20th century—and yet, one must also understand, as Rowan Williams maintains in Lost
Icon’s: Reflections on Cultural Bereavement, there can never been a time in which I can allow
myself the luxury of thinking that my choices don’t have consequences, that they may not be
causing harm to another in some way. Accepting this fact is the first step toward understanding
the task that lies ahead of us as Christians in the United States.

Like the prophets of old, our task is to remind people that there are times when their
choice for something is a choice against the poor or weak of the land, and that our choices, when
taken together, may have major ramifications not only for us, but for men and women around the
globe. It is helpful to consider the words of scripture when approaching this task, the warnings
offered by the prophets to the people of Israel. One of the most memorable warnings was that
pronounced by the Prophet Amos:

“Hear this word, you cows of Ba shan who are on Mount Samaria, who oppress the poor,
who crush the needy, who say to their husbands, ‘Bring something to drink!’ The Lord
God has sworn by his holiness: the time is surely coming upon you, when they shall take
you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. Through breaches in the wall
you shall leave, each one straight ahead; and you shall be flung out into Har mon, says
the Lord.” (Amos 4:1-3 [show] "Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, 'Bring, that we may drink!' The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon," declares the LORD.
)

This warning reminds me that my first task is not to see to my comfort or to surround myself
with extravagance, but to consider whether my mode of life is one that in some way oppresses
the poor or crushes the needy, and if so, to change it. Scripture tells me that I should “not love
the world or the things in the world,” because to do so is to reject God, “The love of the Father
is not in those who love the world.” These things that exist in the world, “the desire of the flesh,
the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches,” are the very things that allow us to loose our focus, to
loose sight of the human in our interactions and become callous. Such callousness “comes not
from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:15-17 [show] Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (ESV)
).

This callousness may not be the type that we would normally consider when we think of
cruelty to our fellow human beings—often it presents itself as thoughtlessness, as simple
idolatry. Consider the parable of the Rich Fool as recounted by Luke:

“The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I
do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down
my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. And I will
say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be
merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of
you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who
store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God” (Luke 12 [show] In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?" And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. "I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming.' And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat,' and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny." (ESV)
:16b-21).

The failure of the rich fool to take account of God or the poor in his plans illustrated a subtle
idolatry at work. It may not have been an idolatry that required sacrifice to a pagan statue, but it
was one that circumscribed the heart of the rich man, preventing him from seeing what good
might be done through his good fortune. Because he did not recognize the gifted nature of his
success, he was unable to conceive of sharing his wealth with those less fortunate. This is the
danger we risk as a society, and one that each Christian should take to heart to avoid. Our hope
is not in storing things up for the future—we are even commanded not to worry, not to say
“‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is [the
unbelievers] who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you
need all these things.” God knows our needs, and will provide for them. This is the Good News
for our society and any other. Our task on earth is to “strive first for the kingdom of God and his
righteousness,” and in so doing, accomplish our tasks in life and be assured of God’s provision
(Matt. 6:31-33 [show] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)
).

Bibliography

Harrelson, Walter J., Donald Senior, Abraham Smith, Phyllis Trible, and James C. VanderKam, eds. The
New Interpreters Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 2003.