The other day I was driving to work in my Suzuki Forenza. A small car that does the job we need it to do in the way we need it to do it. It didn't cost us that much and we already have it paid off because we manage our money in such a way that we can pay things like that off in a short amount of time. I am at about 127th and Black Bob Rd. and I'm in the turn lane to turn to go to work and guess what stops next to me, an Escalde. BIG, shinny, and black. Nice huh. Well as it pulls forward some to make it's stop, I notice the plate. It says a very comforting, "TRUSTGOD." Aww how sweet I thought at first but then I thought how lame. This jerk is in a huge ass SUV that is way more expensive then any other SUV but they have the balls to put something like that on their plate. Did you know that if you have a normal size closet in your home, not a walk in but a normal, small closet, that you are richer then almost like 70% of the world. This stupid Christian decides to tell the world to trust God in this thing that is bigger then a closet and more then what is necessary to live with and we are suppose to believe that crap? Believe that God is so wonderful that He wants us to have big lavish things. Aren't we CALLED to provide for the homeless and the hungry, the widow and orphan while driving around in something that is bigger then most poor people's home. Oh wait I'm sorry NO.
We want the world to believe that we are so Christ like yet we are driving around in something that I didn't even have a chance to sleep in while I was a kid even though there are millions of poor people around the world and people dying of hunger and dying of AIDS and all sorts of other things while we sit in our lovely homes and drive our big fancy cars because we trust God. We are in God's country here in the US aren't we? We deserve that don't we? After all, the thousands of NATIVE American's that died so we could have this so called freedom would say so don't you think? Wrong!!! We are no more a Christian then Satan himself if we are not paying attention to what we do and how we act and how we spend out time and our money. People look at your check book. Look at the most expensive thing you bought and think about what else that could have bought for either yourself or someone who really needed it. Look at your credit card statement and look at the debt you owe and think of what else you could have spent the debt you owe on. Think people think.
We want the world to believe that we are so Christ like yet we are driving around in something that I didn't even have a chance to sleep in while I was a kid even though there are millions of poor people around the world and people dying of hunger and dying of AIDS and all sorts of other things while we sit in our lovely homes and drive our big fancy cars because we trust God. We are in God's country here in the US aren't we? We deserve that don't we? After all, the thousands of NATIVE American's that died so we could have this so called freedom would say so don't you think? Wrong!!! We are no more a Christian then Satan himself if we are not paying attention to what we do and how we act and how we spend out time and our money. People look at your check book. Look at the most expensive thing you bought and think about what else that could have bought for either yourself or someone who really needed it. Look at your credit card statement and look at the debt you owe and think of what else you could have spent the debt you owe on. Think people think.
10 comments:
I don't necessarily disagree that we could do better with some of our money and we could all do more to answer the call of the poor.
That said, we're also told not to cast a stone unless we are free of sin. It appears that you had never heard of this individual until you drove by them and you have already painted them as selfish. It is possible that this person is a jerk and a "stupid Christian." It's also possible that this person has done more for the poor and oppressed than you or I will ever do in our lifetimes.
How much of my income or lifestyle do I have to give up? I'm betting almost everyone at TFN has more square footage than they need to live. Where do we draw the line?
I guess what I was really trying to say is that coming from where I come from, I would look at that and say it is really selfish. Not that at times I am not selfish but I just think that if a Christian is going to ride around in something like that then it shouldn't have something like "trustgod" on it because it gives the wrong message. As I live in this world with as many people who do not believe, I tend to look at the things around me and wonder what others would think. I don't want to offend or give someone the wrong idea. Shoot I have enough trouble putting my foot in my mouth as it is so I know I am just as stupid as other people are but seeing something to the effect that doesn't show a Biblical thought or Christ-like behavior, that is what really makes me mad. I should have said that instead.
I don't think you shouldn't have written or felt that way, because I think your point is legitimate.
There is prosperity message that if you trust God you'll be able to drive nice cars and just kick back and live the good life - something I don't think God would approve of if He did bless you in that way.
I just think everything is on a continuum and you'll almost never find any two people in the exact same place. That person in the SUV might say the same thing about someone in a "trust God" Ferrari.
My issue was mainly that there is always someone richer and there is always someone poorer. If you look left, you feel convicted, "I have so much and could give so much more!" If you look right, you feel a little relief, "It's not like I'm driving a $60,000 car!"
I could give more - could give less, but whatever I give is going to be because I feel moved, not guilty.
Do you, by any chance, suffer from the occasional ROAD RAGE?
I would point you to a product called a CHILL PILL. Really, though, I like your passion for life, but ease up, girl!! Your blood pressure must be through the roof!!
Oh, I just saw the moderation enabled thing. Ignore the multiple comments! I figured I messed up the posting thing when i didn't see my first comment. Sorry!
No I really actually do have really bad road rage. I'm a Californian, it's in my blood but the thing I just noticed is that I have six comments for this one comment and hardly any for my others. I find this funny because if anything I think people would want to write words of encouragement for the other things I have written and basically disregard the last thing I wrote as something that some crazy very sad girl who has been through so much just wrote out of frustration. Oh well, such is life.
Bill,
Does the "N" of "TFN" stand for Nazarene?
I've seen you use those initials several times and was curious.
Sensationalism Sells girl!
I get most of my comments when I make half-cocked statements as well, i.e. my Bonhoeffer was wrong post, that got some good discussion going.
It's hard to really have a good discussion when we all agree. Sometimes we have to be vulnerable to get the conversation moving.
Thanks for doing that!
Donnie, it sure does stand for Nazarene. I'm not sure why I put it like that - must have seen it that way someplace. Or I am so covered in three letter acronyms all day that I subconsciously filled in the "missing" letter..
Post a Comment