considering the ecology and economy of God

Reading in Genesis 22 today about Abraham's symbolic sacrifice of his only son Isaac, I was struck as if reading for the first time his words to his son. Isaac had asked his father a practical question regarding the sacrifice they were about to offer: where's the sacrificial ram?

In his teaching, Jesus spent a lot of time telling stories about the local economy and the local ecology, as a way of describing the character and nature of our Creator and what he intends to create through us. It is fundamentally different than the systems of this world.

In the economy of the world around us, our felt needs and desire for security necessitate acquisition, even at the cost of others' needs and security. It's what drives the free market and the black market, it's what transforms the Middle East into a war zone, it's what keeps East Oakland's flatlands seemingly locked up in crime and poverty.

In the ecology of the world around us, scarity drives up costs and directly influences our peace.

Abraham realized that on this trek, Yahweh had requested he sacrifice his only son -- a direct affront on his sense of personal security and long-term needs. Here are Abraham's words to Isaac:

8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

Perhaps our soteriology (how salvation works) can obscure the nature of its' very soul: a God who loves, and calls his subjects to love as he does. When Abraham obeyed Yahweh, he was placing his and his son's life completely in the hands of God. Too often, I fear, we simply gloss over the passage and claim it as a foreshadowing, pointing to the eventual sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world. I agree wholeheartedly, however, that reality shouldn't lessen the weight of what God is calling Abraham, and by extension you and I, to embrace: the relationship between love and sacrifice. Abraham was esteemed by God -- not because he had a correct theology -- but because he didn't withhold what was most precious to him. This released the provision of God. Do we see it? Do we see what possesses us and keeps us from a trust relationship with God?

I was driving to work this morning and praying, "Lord, teach me the posture of true leadership." I am convinced that Jesus modeled true leadership by taking the servant's towel and washing his disciples' feet. Power that flows from the ecology of God doesn't hold on selfishly to position, rank or wealth; instead, it becomes a conduit of that blessing by investing it into others.

Interestingly enough, when I landed at work this video from Michelle Obama was waiting in my e-mail inbox.



It bodes well for our future First Family that they place a very high priority on the nature of true leadership -- and my prayer is that the leadership they exhibit domestically and project across the span of the globe is reflective of the ecology and economy of God.

Not Sacrificing My Friends for a Free Whopper

Did you hear about this?

Burger King is running a viral marketing campaign that challenges facebook users to sacrifice 10 "friends" from their facebook profile in exchange for a free hamburger. When I first saw the pitch, I laughed. Then I thought a little further and considered taking the plunge. Then I thought even further still and it occurred to me that, while a harmless little tactic to get consumers to purchase more Whoppers, set against the backdrop of the entire mess of humanity, the notion that people would elect to ditch their friends on the way to a free burger makes perfect tragic sense. It's what we do, America: we were created to cherish people and use things in service to that end, but instead we do the opposite: we cherish things and use people.

That's not even taking into consideration the fact that BK could have launched a humanitarian initiative with this schtick. I might even have participated in something like that. Instead, people will drop a thread, albeit virtual and superficial, in their human network, and for what? An unhealthy snack that they probably could do without, keeping our stomachs and spirits bloated and distracted from the desperation of our neighbors who are impoverished of food, water, security, justice, or love.

When we choose stuff over people, everybody loses.

It's the human condition, I guess; and Burger King provided Exhibit "A" for the moment.