Copyright by Shea Oakley
All rights reserved
Throughout history the Church has been influenced by the cultures with which it has been co-existent. In some cases this influence has been healthy, in some cases not. Human societies have always been of a mixed bag of the good and the bad. American society in the 21st Century is no exception.
Part of the core of the “American Dream” today is the quest to be upwardly mobile materially. The United States has a strong work ethic which has helped us to become an economic superpower. Americans work hard to gain affluence undreamed of by most of the world. Many succeed. The private enterprise system seems to work well and its triumph over competing ideologies reinforces the belief that the “business of America is business”. The superiority of the system is affirmed by many if not most Americans.
There is, however, a cost.
In order to gain this affluence the typical worker is putting in far more working time today. The 40 hour workweek has become, during the past twenty years, the 60 hour work week. This is especially true in what we call “Corporate America”. Big business asks its employees to sacrifice more and more time in the pursuit of more and more productivity. Nationally a large percentage of these workers, perhaps 15% percent, are conservative Christians. We, too, have bought into the workaholism of the 2017 version of the American Dream…
Christians in this country increasingly have less time to spend pursuing the kind of life ministry modeled in the New Testament. There is less time being devoted today to everything from church services to intentional efforts to invest in the kinds of relationships that build community. When your work and your commute take up 10 to 12 hours a day you do not have much time or energy left. The job becomes the focus of life. Investing in eternal things takes a back seat.
The irony of all this is that many caught up in the corporate lifestyle are too exhausted to even enjoy the fruits of their labor. They make good money but the price, among other things, is lost leisure time. What we have in the U.S. is a Protestant work ethic that has gone out of control. We are not lazy, it’s true, but maybe a little more healthy margin in life would be a good thing.
What seems to be missing is balance. Our lives are weighted too heavily towards getting ahead in the working world. Perhaps the lower standard of living that might result from quitting corporations that demand our souls would be worth it. Trade the new BMW in for a used Chevy, buy a smaller house, forego the annual vacation in the Caribbean; all these things are not as important as forging real relationships with God and with other human beings.
American-born missionaries to places like Africa and South America often do not enjoy their furloughs home. They have grown use to the slower rhythm of life in other countries. What they see upon arrival back in the land of their birth is a manic society that has no time for the more important things in life. These missionaries have learned that relationships are much more highly regarded elsewhere than affluence.
Perhaps Christians here need to re-evaluate the American Dream in light of what the Bible tells us are things that really matter.
One thought on “Dream or Nightmare?”
This is a very insightful view of our culture. And a hard (but not impossible) labyrinth to navigate if you try and you are fortunate.
I was able (fortunately) to survive my multiple corporate positions, while still keeping a priority of my family. Although I traveled extensively, when I was home, I was able to make sure I was home at 6 for dinner with the family. I was able to schedule my travel so that (other than I had to miss my daughter’s kindergarten graduation) I never missed an important school or activity event thereafter. In talking to co-workers who said they “just couldn’t arrange their schedules” I would say, that it is difficult but if you make it a priority, you can make sure you attend most of the important family events. (And for my daughter’s kindergarten graduation–yes, I missed it but the family left that afternoon to meet me at a company event in Florida, so they did get a vacation and we got to be together).
Lester Anderson