In our time, disciples are being made of all nations, though
maybe not quite the way nineteenth-century missionaries may have supposed. The
world is coming together. The worldwide
web is the metaphor of our time. Ideas
travel almost instantaneously around our globe.
In fact, the violence of certain conservative Islamists can probably be best understood as part of a
fearful reaction to the world becoming one.
But even rioters in the streets of Cairo
or Teheran wear blue jeans and sip Cokes.
The world is coming together, and it’s this process that is
called globalization. It bears watching. It calls for understanding. In this, conservative Muslims are not
wrong. If the world is coming together
as one, then it matters a great deal on whose terms and at what cost to the
human spirit. And it is especially
important that those who follow Jesus be paying attention. We live today on the front edge of one of
history’s greatest turning points. So I
offer my thoughts here as a brief beginning toward understanding
globalization. I will begin with some analysis of globalization and then in
future posts turn to Scripture. I will
identify some problems and then sketch out a direction toward solutions.
Globalization is both cultural and economic. One world culture, essentially Western, is
spreading around the world. At some cost
to cultural diversity. There are customs
and languages that will not survive. At
some possible loss to perhaps all of us.
But primarily I will focus on economic globalization. Ah, economics! You may feel that economics has no place on a
minister’s blog. And I would essentially
agree with you. I would entirely agree
with you if it weren’t for the niggling little matter of economics being the
primary way life is structured. So to
rule it out of bounds for churches is to rule much of life out of bounds for spiritual discussion and to contribute to the ongoing moral paralysis and
irrelevance of many, many churches.
Still, economics should be discussed with great care in church settings
because in most cases those speaking in churches are not economically
trained. I’m not. I’m trained in history but not
economics. I freely acknowledge my
limitations. Still I do my homework
carefully.
Before saying another word, let me stake out my own perspective. I
am American. By choice. I believe that it is the verdict of history
that the economic system called capitalism and associated with Adam Smith and
his 1776 book, The Wealth of Nations, works. I do not believe that greed works, not in the
long run, but I do believe that free markets and free trade work. The problem is that there are always those in
both Big Government and Big Business who seek to restrict free markets and free
trade to their own personal advantage.
And there are always dislocations; labor can never move as quickly as
capital. But over time truly free
markets and trade work. And so I am
essentially optimistic. Globalization is
the future. And while it has its critics (thank
goodness, every system needs its critics), globalization is, in my judgment,
more the solution than the problem.
The world is becoming more and more economically
interconnected. Of the world’s one
hundred largest economies, forty-nine are nations and – get this – fifty-one
are multi-national corporations.1 And this offers the remarkable hope that
nations will be increasingly disinclined to go to war with other nations. Their economies are too dependent on one
another. But – and here’s the rub – the
process of globalization involves some real risks and vulnerabilities.2
What are your thoughts on globalization? Does church – does faith – have a say in
this? Should it?
In our time I believe the goodness of many people and many nations are overshadowed by the greed of those in power. I would say the "few" in power but it seems more difficult than ever to figure that out when there are so many factors in decisions that are made (shareholders, administrations, etc). Whether that changes or not is hard to say as those in power have more tools then maybe ever before to keep their authority amongst their respective institutions. And economics really plays into that. I am sure there are many people who don't want to support certain nations or corporations but everything is tied together. People want to take a stand against "the big guy" but many do not have the resources to make that stand. An example is the modern day discussion about food prices and how many people simply can't afford to eat at or get products from healthier restaurants or food markets. And sure some of it is discipline and sacrifice but to say it's the family or the individual's fault because they can't afford certain things alone is to ignore the overwhelming problem we face as a country and as a world of the lack of economic wage growth for the majority of people. Inflation may be slowly rising (very slowly in some areas, slowly in other) but wage growth in many areas of the world and here in the US is stagnant or close to it. People are having trouble keeping up.
ReplyDeleteThe world coming together does have its perks. The quick dissemination of information allows us to be in better touch with the world around us. Institutions (nations, churches, etc) are being held accountable for their actions and words, even if that is only in the court of public opinion. In time, maybe some real accountability other than public opinion will prevail. Whether it be a minister, president, teacher, artist, etc., the internet now gives us the capability of spreading people's words and actions. Churches, corporations, or governments that had small audiences and could control the conversation have in many ways lost that power. Often times, I think, for the good of everyone else. A minister's views on a given topic can now be viewed or heard across the world and it forces them to be accountable and stand up for their perspective. In many ways people can be exposed for who they are (better or worse than have appeared) in a flash.
Thankfully Dale provides a great example (not just words but actions) on how to love one's neighbor and be compassionate. For seemingly everyday new stories arise about intolerant and exclusive views in church institutions (as one example). Intolerance and exclusivity once kept close knit now being exposed. The story on the Ridgedale Church of Christ is just one example that has been discussed recently.