Cursed Individualism

Cursed individualism

7/1/2020

 

If you are an individualist you are surely not a believer, and if you are a believer you are utterly responsible, connected, and aligned everywhere.  Before we can reconstruct this deconstructed culture, we must be utterly reconnected ourselves. This is the work of health religion (re-ligio – rebind).

                               Richard Rohr

____________________________________

 

in America we have often talked about, and prized

rugged individualism

 

but perhaps it is time for us to understand that “rugged individualism”

may be another name for “essential selfishness”

 

I was raised to believe it is not OK to be dependent, or needy

Suck it up

Deal with it

Only weak people have to ask for help

 

But the reality is, this mentality is the source of much pain

 

It is this framework that causes people to shame the poor

and allows them to close their eyes to the needs of those

society has systematically oppressed

 

It is this mindset that has caused people to refuse to wear masks

(even though to do so would protect those around them)

and moved people to literally sacrifice the vulnerable for the economy

 

me

mine

us

 

forget “them”

 

it is interesting that through the history of God’s interactions with humankind

the individual is rarely the point of focus

 

Oh sure, God uses individuals, Abram, for example

 

But remember, Abram becomes Abraham

father of many

the Abraham story is more than a narrative about individual faith

it is a epoch about the creation of a people

 

David, that terrible wonderful mess of a King,

led a people

 

Jesus called the disciples

 

Peter and Paul formed the ecclesia, the collective

the church

the body of Christ

where are all parts are joined and must work together

where no part is more important than another

and separation from the body is sheer nonsense

 

Richard Rohr suggests you can be and individualist and be a believer

 

Nadia Bolz-Weber once said, when talking about her church,

“I think this is why we at House for All Sinners and Saints sometimes say we are religious but not spiritual.  Spiritual feels individualistic and escapist...

 

but to be religious is to be human in the midst of other humans who are as equally messed up and obnoxious and forgiven as ourselves” (Accidental Saints)

 

the point is

we need each other

we need to take care of each other

we need to work together

we all must (individually yes) do our part

 

this world is a mess

it is deconstructed for sure

 

we are divided and alienated

angry and violent

and frankly

 

far too many of us

insisting on our “individual rights and freedoms”

 

are acting like total asses

 

we are throwing the vulnerable away for money

children away for the right to own whatever kind of gun we want

justice away for power

 

the very health of our nation away

for the freedom not to wear a mask, and have a beer at a bar

 

that is not the God way

that is not the Jesus way

 

and the only way

we are going to pull things back together

is if we drop the insanity of individualism

 

and love God

and love our neighbor as ourselves

 

and become a beloved community