Two Pints Later: Bursting Bubbles of Individualism

Thursday, 14 July 2011

Bursting Bubbles of Individualism

God created humankind as social beings. This is not an accident, a mistake, or a result of the fall. We are created in the image of the triune God who is relational to the core, existing in a loving and ever deferring dance of community; Father, Son, and Spirit.

Western individualism is an expression of humanities broken, marred, sinful nature. Ultimately it is rooted in selfishness but it also finds momentum as people shy away from relationship as a result of offense, abuse, and the negative experiences everybody goes through in relationships. When brokenness encounters brokenness, as people come together in relationship, there is always the potential for fireworks that are not always positive and life giving.

One of the incredible attractions of individualism is its ability to create an island or a bubble of self-existence. An individual who lives a self focussed life (or at best, a nuclear family focussed life), can set up a fence, a wall, a boundary that keeps whatever is happening in the rest of the world out. It also makes it possible to live unaware of what is happening in the rest of the world. When the wall or the fence is higher enough, it is possible in our western context to truly live the 'good life.' One can eat, drink and be merry with little and even no consideration for others.

The relational triune God created and invited humanity into relationship with God and each other. Sin stuffed it all up. The relational triune God came in the flesh, incarnate, in order to make relationship with God and each other possible again. The gospel, the cross, Jesus Christ bursts bubbles of individualism. The gospel challenges us to think communally and live communally. It challenges us to live in loving, deferring, generous relationship with each other and the rest of the created order, out of our restored and loving relationship with God. The bubble is burst. The island has been bridged. The fence and the wall have been torn down.

This changes everything.

One can no-longer hide from the pain, heartache, injustice, needs and challenges that face our neighbours, our workmates, and our global community. One cannot ignore the reality of the brokenness in the world, hide away from it, or deny it. Escapism is not an option. Rather one is invited to partner with the Spirit’s work in the world to bring healing, restoration and life! The challenge is enormous, the adventure life long, the reward incredible.

With the help of the Spirit when brokenness encounters brokenness, as people come together in relationship, there is the potential for healing, love and true life to be found.

Resist the pull to build walls of individualism and isolation around your life. The sense of protection is false. The bliss of ignorance a deception.

Embrace life relationally and communally, be the kind of person you were created to be. Help restore that which is broken.

1 comment:

Hannah McAuley19 August 2011 at 11:31
Great thoughts Joseph, def a lot harder to live a life deferring to others but oh so much more rewarding!!!
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Our Blog

Whether it’s over a pint of beer, an espresso coffee, or an icy cold bottle of New Zealand’s own Lemon & Paeroa, there is something invigorating about a meaningful conversation. Finding someone with whom your ideas and musings resonate is encouraging and reassuring, it inspires you to walk on. Finding someone with a different perspective causes you to pause, to reconsider, to take stock, to refine your thinking. Both can be healthy. Both can get you into trouble. Two Pints Later is the online continuation of a variety of conversations between some strangers who have become friends. It is a collaborative attempt to continue discussions that started in living rooms, or at BBQ’s, or after church, or at the pub, or in cafes, or in classrooms around New Zealand and Australia. We share a common and unwavering commitment to Jesus and mostly our conversations are to do with what it might mean to follow Jesus in our 21st Century, postmodern, postChristian context. Sometimes they’re not. As much as our stories are similar they are different. We each write from our own perspective and the opinions and ideas we present are our own and not necessarily those of our fellow collaborators or organisations we might work for. Individual bios can be found below. Enjoy the conversation and feel free to join in.

Collaborators

Michael Frost - is an early 30’s ginger haired man, passionate about cricket, music, NRL, whiskey (as long as it’s single malt) and theology... and of course, most of all, passionate about the good Lord. Michael is also madly in love with his wife Hannah. He lectures a bit, studies a bit, and does a bit of thinking along the way. Michael believes faith should be genuine in all of its complexities... "The true reality of faith is explored in the midst of our fears, doubts, hopes, beliefs, experiences, sufferings and relationships. Hopefully in the midst of it all, we discover Christ - we discover death and resurrection – and that changes everything!"

Joseph McAuley - is a husband and a father, an M.Div student, an INTJ, and an urban gardener. He is the lead pastor of St Luke's in Mount Maunganui, NZ. He drives a 1967 HR Holden Wagon and is building Artesania Latina’s HMS Endeavour. Joseph is interested in spiritual disciplines, Genesis, sustainability and leadership. He loves the fact that... "Even in the midst of the greyscale reality of a sin ravaged world, in Jesus Christ life can still be lived in vibrant colour. Beauty, passion, laughter, love, grace and forgiveness can be discovered."

Anna Exelby - is married to Nathan - who she is grateful to for consistently widening her worldview (those people who say ‘opposites attract’ are correct). She teaches English at the high school down the road and her students also do their fair share of broadening her outlook. When not trying to enthuse the teenage brain about literature she enjoys coffee and conversation with friends, pottering in her vege garden, getting to the top of the Mount, reading and walking Kingi - their German Shepherd. She struggles to understand how to best be a part of fighting injustice and wants to learn more about sustainability. Anna is working towards a MACS, which she credits with reviving her faith – turns out she needed to turn her brain on and explore some questions – and realise that God was cool with that.

Shane Clifton - is married to Elly and has the privilege and challenge of raising three teenage boys. He is a raving feminist and hopes this blog will include more female contributors (yes, will soon have a couple on board). Shane teaches theology at Alphacrucis college and is the author of Pentecostal Churches in Transition and, in collaboration with new Neil Ormerod, Globalisation in the Mission of the Church. Following a serious accident on 7 October 2010 he is learning to live as a quadriplegic.

Heidi Nagels - is a big fan of good food, great friends and the kind of laughing that makes your sides hurt. She is self-employed accountant, a pastor at St Luke’s in Mount Maunganui and on the homeward straight of her MACS. She plays weekly in a volleyball team called ‘Puddingface’ (with her boyfriend Simon) and would love to master the speedy overhead serve this season. Heidi hopes to continue to learn to be a disciple and a follower of the way and takes courage knowing “’Course Aslan (Jesus) isn’t safe. But he’s good” (Mr Beaver, Narnia)

Braden Matson - is...

Shane Meyer - is the proud owner disproportionately long arms, which on occasion attract the jeers of small children. He lives with his wife Rachel (who he has really grown fond of over the years) in Melbourne, and works in speciality coffee where he has recently received the distinguished ‘Least Indie Barista’ award due to his lack of fringe and / or pirate themed tattoos. When not swimming in a sea of extremely good coffee he attempts to get as much reading done as possible before resuming study and having his life taken over again. He also works continually in an attempt to prevent the immanent psychological implosion of his indoor football team ‘The Pony Express’. He is occasionally serious and loves discussion around how to live every part of our lives as a community of redemption and hope.

Sean du Toit - Sean, along with his wife, Sue, [who he’s had a crush on since he was sixteen], is a follower of Jesus trying to make sense of this world. This quest to be faithful to Jesus has led him into the byways and alleys of theology, history, philosophy and now a community called, “Common Ground.” Part of this quest involves teaching the New Testament, pursuing his own post-grad research and trying to connect with his friends, as often as possible. Sean has unusual sleeping habits, a love for reading documents and inscriptions from the first century, a wise mother, a creative sister and two kick-butt nephews who create within him a desire to one day have his own children.

Sam Bloore - doubts whether many people will have made it this far down a list of bio’s. If you have, he predicts you are organized and efficient. Patient and conscientious. An i-dotter. A t-crosser. Sam is none of these…and so you have his admiration and respect. He is a wannabe thinker with a short attention span – which has obvious challenges. He works for the Compass Foundation, commenting on the tensions of faithfully living a gospel-centred life in 21st-century western culture. What he thinks that faithfulness should look like was profoundly shaped by the premature death of his father last year. Sam considers himself lucky to live near the rest of his family in Auckland and extremely lucky that he gets to do that with his wife Julia. He is slowly and painfully learning to cook (which impresses her) and kiteboard (which doesn’t.)