Redefining The American Dream
With all this talk about the American Dream being misguided, it might be easy for you to think I’m being anti-American. This isn’t the case. In fact, I’m proud to be an American. I’m thankful to live in a country where we experience so much freedom and prosperity. I’m glad I have the right and privilege to vote. While I don’t always agree with our country’s leaders (past and present), I respect them, and I’m thankful for the thought that went into setting up a government designed to have accountability.
The conversation in the comments the past two days has been challenging and mostly rich. It has been healthy to dialogue about the American Dream and about our call as Christ followers to pursue a life that may run contrary to the modern-day definition of the American Dream. One of the comments in particular sums up my feelings related to this, and I think it is worth sharing here:
This is a very good post, Jon. I could easily write a reply that is as long as your post.
I think the founding fathers stated what is still the best definition for the “American Dream”; “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness … “
I believe part of the problem in America now is that, as a culture, we’ve substituted “pursuit of wealth and material things” for “pursuit of Happiness”. Larry kind of alluded to that sentiment. But I think the happiness the founding fathers may have been talking about is closer to meaning freedom from the oppression of a tyrannical king and less about material acquisition. And we now mistakenly see acquisition of material wealth as proof of God’s blessing.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe God has richly blessed this country. I believe He had a hand in the founding of this country. But I think that blessing was a by-product of our collective faith – a faith that now wanes in light of the post-Christian era we now find ourselves in this country.
Many years ago I read a good book about seeing God’s hand in the formation of the United States. It’s titled “The Light and the Glory” and it is still available at Amazon.
Great post, Jon. Thanks.
David (not my brother)
Another sentiment that has been repeated in different comments from different readers of the blog is that our primary loyalty should rest in serving the Kingdom of God. I agree, and I don’t think this means we have to put aside our patriotism. It does however seem to point to the need for us to stand up for what we believe in, to respond with love and respect, and to always seek to represent Christ well. And perhaps, it means we need to redefine the American Dream.
Serving Christ in the American culture may be more challenging today than we care to admit. It’s easy to become distracted by the pushes and pulls of this culture. It’s also easy to become self-absorbed and to forget the responsibility we all have to follow the directive found in the Great Commission.
If we are truly convinced that Jesus Christ is who He says He is – the Son of God, then we have a choice to make. We can ignore His teaching and His direction, or we can take Him at His word by having a mission mindset in all we do, in all we say, and in all we think.
What’s your choice?
How do you define the American Dream? How do you reconcile the American Dream and the Great Commission?
Do you think it’s important to have a mission mindset? Why or why not?