Thursday, January 29, 2009

What Is Our Vocabulary Telling Us?

In these "uncertain economic times," what is our vocabulary telling us, and how might it be limiting our freedom and largeness in God's Spirit?

What gospel glory are we occluding when we (albeit unconsciously) commit ourselves to the vocabulary of hunkering down, riding it out, laying low, etc., when these are the images that fill our mind?

I believe that this is a vocabulary of minimalism, disengagement, and withdrawal--the vocabulary of the winter lair, the underground bunker, and it does not befit us.

Yes, we need to conserve, to live within our means, to rethink our financial and life strategies, possibly in ways we haven't even yet begun to conceive of, but paradoxically perhaps, less may actually be more--while we're paring back on the outside, we can rise up and be bold in our spirits, opening ourselves ever more deeply to adventure and risk in Christ, and (changing the metaphor here!) dare to live exothermic lives.

What are some of the ways we can discover together what the parable of the talents might mean for us in this particular economic season?

"Those who know their God will be strong and do exploits."

"New times, new favors, and new joys do a new song require." A song, not a whisper or (ouch!) a whine!

2 comments:

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

Very wise observations.

sarahbereza said...

less is totally more! I've been experiencing less this spring, and I love the way it's opened my life. Even grocery shopping is more fun when you have less...I love the creativity it takes to put together meals when you're being super frugal.