Reframe. Who is a guest? This intriguing film clip provides yet one more way to understand the core of Christian theology – in order for any of us to be saved, healed or made truly whole, ALL of us must be healed.
As St. Paul wrote long ago, “All of creation is groaning, laboring toward salvation, toward becoming a new creation” (Romans 8:19). In other words, we are saved together.
Similarly, in this short film which you can click and watch: The Guest, Henrik Malmgren writes, “In a society where we take care of each other with bullets, the old widow Elsa is trapped in old habits. When her lonely dinner gets brutally interrupted, Elsa makes a decision that changes more than her own life, understanding that Paradise is lost without others.” (Emphasis mine)
Where did we ever get the idea that war could bring peace? Violence only brings more violence, not only for those who are on the receiving end but for those who perpetrate it.
We are smarter than this. Resistence to violence can take many forms. To become a society that values peace, we must learn non-violent and peaceful ways to resist violence and create change.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi.
In previous posts I wrote about the importance of how we speak about things as well as the importance of how we frame things.
It’s important because our survival depends on our ability to see reality clearly. The way we frame things helps us to see clearly (or not) so we can make necessary changes.
Here’s an inspiring short film – Story of a Sign – that demonstrates this.
Perhaps you remember the British TV series, Upstairs, Downstairs? It was about lives of a privileged family and their servants during the 19th century. Recently I was watching a similar series, Downton Abbey. It occurred to me that something was very wrong with an economic system that allowed an elite few to live in unearned luxury owed to the labor of many – simply because of birth into a particular social class.
However, on further reflection I realized that my own life was no different. I live a life of comparative comfort, also due to the labor of many. It’s just that the “many” are out of sight on the other side of the globe. We’ve managed to hide the poorly paid or enslaved labor of many. They are out of our view unless we make an effort to be aware of their existence.
Two thirds of the world lives on less than $2 a day. Our own U.S. and European trade policies and lifestyles contribute to this situation rather than help alleviate it. Net: We make this situation worse, not better. My own lifestyle makes this situation worse not better (watch Story of Stuff or read about the example of the Mathare Valley in Dispossessed to see why this is true).
That my own everyday lifestyle contributes to someone else’s daily hunger is painful for me to think about. Once I know this I am morally culpable if I choose to do nothing. This means I have to ask myself, “How much is enough?” and “How much is too much?”
Underpinning these questions is the understanding that my “right to own” or “my ability to purchase” doesn’t trump all other rights. Our society already recognizes this. We allow for eminent domain for example. This means private property can be taken when necessary for public use or the common good. In the case of hunger, my right to own/purchase is superseded by others’ rights to eat and to live.
So what does this mean in terms of my own life choices? For me, it means that I only steward the resources in my care. I don’t take them with me when I die. They have landed in my care only because of our inability to distribute equitably through our existing economic system. Further, it means that my excess resources must be used to help others lift themselves out of poverty. Finally it means that I should strive to use the least amount of resources that I possibly can until everyone has their basic needs met.
This is difficult. For example, it’s hard to look at my life and know that just in air travel I am using more fuel per person in one trip than in a lifetime of driving. It’s painful to see how much water I waste every day – even when I try to remember to use less.
But still, I feel that I should keep trying and keep learning. I can’t pretend any longer that I don’t know how most of the world lives. I have been to Juarez, Mx. I have seen hunger in south Minneapolis and even in Eagan. I can’t insulate myself from their suffering any longer. We are all connected. They are a part of me. What I do and how I live matters to their well being and their well being is critical to my own. I want to live in a world without war, without terrorism, without pollution, without fear, stealing and corruption caused by lack of basic necessities and human care. My own choices matter.
So I continue seeking new ways to pare back, use less and free up resources that rightly belong to others. I continue to ask what is my “excess”? My own moral sense requires it. It’s about becoming the person I wish to be and being at peace with my own integrity.
Many of the postings on this blog witness my struggle with this question. It is my motivation for not buying clothing for a year and donating that money instead. Posts that demonstrate redecorating through recycling and reuse are another example of freeing up resources and limiting what I consume. Similarly my interest in purchasing local, fair trade and eco-friendly products whenever possible.
I must ask myself, “Does my desire for a new car (or new XXX) trump someone else’s right to eat?” More and more the answer for myself is “No”. I used to think that my purchasing a new car supported others’ salaries in that industry. But now I think that I should be supporting industries that use those same skills in a way that directly works to solve the problem of poverty (see my post on the Non-Profit Economy).
Many others are asking these questions too. How much is enough? How much is too much? Even though we will each respond in our own way and with different answers, it is important we struggle with the question.
In the end, our personal spirituality is intimately woven into our lifestyle choices and our involvement for change in our communities. This logically means that morally a spirituality that doesn’t motivate us toward working to end hunger and suffering is a spirituality not worth anything at all.
