Friday, 4 October, 2002

In a chapter called "Christianity: It's not a Religion: It's an Adventure," Stanley Hauerwas writes this about the trend toward individualism in the U.S.



One of the deep difficulties for people in the United States is what I call the Groucho Marx Principle. Groucho Marx said he wouldn't want to belong to a country club that would have him as a member. The same problem holds true in making moral choices. Would you want a moral life that you've created? Most people wouldn't, so cynicism has become the primary virtue of U.S. public life. Cynicism ensures that there's absolutely nothing worth dedicating one's life to in a way that totally encompasses it. One always wants to be able to disassociate oneself from one's engagements at any given moment.



There is that well know song about having life "My Way..." but when we are our own guiding light for life, we may be in for trouble. For too often, our individualism leads us into a lifestyle in which we are forced to make choices that are based only on how I feel...what I think...what I can see and hear. That is quite limiting. Like the image of baseball used yesterday to speak of morality, the game would be complete chaos if I only did what I wanted to do. The game would be consumed by the egos of the players. But to play the game, there are rules...and they are not set down by each player for each players own good. We don't just play for as many innings as we choose, we sign on for the whole game...all 9 innings. We don't bat when we want to bat or remove others from the batting list because I don't want that person to bat. There is an order and we all follow it...even when it doesn't suit us as well as I would like. The Church is not a place for people who want to do thing or have things go "my way." We are called to follow the way of Jesus...the way of the cross. It means there will much within our lives that will not be our "choice." Instead, there will be much expected of us simply by definition of who we say we are as Christians. Unfortunately, we have too easily said that anything can go...and therefore...our identity become so diluted we cannot see what it is we are to be.



Connection: An exercise of the day may be to take note of the ways we are led through our day by what I want in life and to hell with the rest. How difficult is it to abide by a "rule" that is constant...out of our control...and consistent for the whole group?



Lord of life, you call us into the way of your Son, Jesus. Keep us mindful of the many ways that life shine and the invitation we are given to shine within its everlasting glory within the days of our lives. Amen.