"God's Economy", Chapter 2

The redefinition of money, found in "God's Economy", is a challenging one for me. I did not say it was a bad one, but it is making me rethink about things. For instance, I never realized how I had let money define people in my eyes. I often see the utter poor or the obviously rich person as somehow so different from me. I think I have often forgotten that we are all humans and no one is better than another. We all desire to be fully human and not to be defined by our wealth or poverty.

Another point that Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove brought up that made me think was that money will always be a problem and a power on this earth. It controls so many. No matter the economic system there remains greed and sin because we are human. As a Christian then my aim is to put God first and not look to money as a solution for my problems or something that will make me more fulfilled as a human. Wilson-Hartgrove challenged me to "unmask the power of money" and then live an abundant life in Christ.

"Jesus and the Disinherited: Fear"

Howard Thurman writes about a "fear of man" that we all can relate too, even though he is speaking primarily to the African American audience who have felt physical oppression, segregation, and inferiority through racism. Fear is something that every person experiences even without feeling physically threatened or oppressed. Most question who they are and what they are, feeling insecure or threatened, but Thurman reminds us that in God we can gain a new sense of security and come to know who we are in Him. God personally knows everything about us and once one realize that we are a child of God it doesn't matter as much what the world is telling us. We don't have to live in fear of ourselves or of others, and we gain a new sense of worth. We finally feel we belong. We belong to God and to the Body of Christ, a colorless community found all around the world. Thurman's message might be a bit dated when speaking on racism in American, but his message about finding our identity in God will never grow old.

This chapter was especially personal for me because fear has been a governing force in much of my life. I grew up a fearful child with plenty of insecurities and only recently have I found my true, secure, identity in Christ. I have been freed from much of my fear, and I finally feel alive!

"Jesus and the Disinherited: Jesus- An Interpretation"

Humility. It is one the hardest things to learn, but it is also key to being Christian. Jesus is the prime example of humility. He did not serve people out of a sense of pride, security in his power, or so as to be in control, as I often do. He cared for the oppressed and poor out of a sense of oneness with them. This seems to only be attained through his submersion into his Jewish community and his true, selfless love for others given to him by God and strengthened through his own personal experiences of pain and oppression. Howard Thurman, the author of "Jesus and the Disinherited", seem to reflect on the fact that true love, sacrifice, humility, and successful resistance against oppression can only be learned and acted out by communing with a diverse community. I am intrigued by this idea and wonder how can someone learn humility and sacrificial love in social isolation?