October 03, 2005
The Suburbs (sub-boring land): A Place Where Some Christians Go To Live Boring Lives and Escape The Samaritans
The word sub-urbing really stands for "sub-boring." Seriously, now I know why it seems like almost all suburban high school kids are pot heads. There's nothing else to do. The American suburbs have to be the most boring place in America. All that money and nothing to d0--other than spend it.
Evangelical Christians in sub-boring land go there to get away from the Samaritans--i.e., the "white trash," and ethinic minorities who will lower your property values. Yes, friends, this is EXACTLY what it means to be salt and light (Matt 5).
It's a cardinal sin for Christians to live near people who aren't like them culturally, right? It's just not safe for the kids, right. And you don't want them hanging around the ceremonially unclean "trailer trash" of America.
But thank goodness for sub-boring land (the burbs): a place where Christians can escape the challenges of being "salt and light" and serve the fetish idols of comfort and ease--while pursuing their multiple marriages and totally jacking-up their kids. This is such a great witness to the world about what Jesus followers should be.
If I actually saw a Reformed church in the sub-urban land burbs that actually had a diverse group of poor whites and middle-class whites or some middle-class whites that on purpose live near "white trash" I would probably pass out.
Or even more dramatic would be to find some middle class blacks who, ON PURPOSE, decided to live among the lower income blacks. Too radical.
Why are suburban evangelicals so desperate to get away from people not in their economic class (it seems)?
Later, I'll tell the story of how I found out that one Christian family in my suburban Chesterfield, MO neighborhood are the racists on the street. Mr. "P" told one of my neighbors just how much he didn't want blacks moving into the neighborhood. Yep, this is the Christian guy. More to come. . .
Posted by anthony at October 3, 2005 09:45 AM | TrackBack