Upward Mobility and American Christianity

American Christians live in a culture that values upward mobility and advancement throughout the course of a lifetime toward the American Dream. The values of upward mobility, as far as I can tell, do not seem to align with the values of downward mobility that were modeled by Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. The authors of the New Testament went to great lengths to describe how followers of Jesus might live in a world that held strongly to values that ran counter to the values that Jesus modeled. I am sure that early Christians struggled to hash out their faith in the midst of a Roman Empire that celebrated many of the same ideals that our modern American culture holds up as important. In other words, modern Christians living in America must be willing to learn how to live out their faith in Jesus in ways that look different than the values of the upwardly mobile American Dream narrative that provides the framework for our existence.

This concept may be difficult for Christians living in America, and downward mobility is not necessarily something that we can accomplish on our own will. We need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to live passionately for Jesus in a culture that celebrates evil and idolatry in many different forms. So many things can become idols to us if we don't pay attention... money, sex, power, media, sports teams, smart phones, etc. Americans can make idols out of bigger homes, nicer cars, bigger retirement plans, and so forth. In our obsession with becoming rich, we can sell out the pursuit of an authentic relationship with Jesus. We remove the parts of Christianity that make us feel uncomfortable, anything having to do with suffering or the downward mobility of the cross, and we embrace the heresy of prosperity doctrine or trying to manipulate God to get the material things that we want in this life.

The solution is to recognize the temptations within the culture around us, and to ask God to empower us to discern which things in our society might ultimately harm us or draw us closer to Jesus. It is hard to have a close connection with God when there are so many idols in the way. We need to reject a comfortable Christianity, and embrace the actual gospel of Jesus Christ as Jesus modeled it for us. It is also crucial for followers of Jesus in America to pray, read our Bibles, and surround ourselves in Christian community with people who will hold us accountable. We need to make tough choices that may alienate us from our friends and family members. Still, I think that we should be concerned as Christians if our lifestyles mirror the upwardly mobile values of the culture surrounding us. We must thrive in the culture, but not be of the culture. This is a profound mystery that can only be revealed to us by God. And, as God promises, we will find joy in the midst of challenging circumstances.