make money, make money, make money money

Since I graduated from college, I’ve only had two jobs. Both of them have been in church related ministry, and both have given me incredible freedom to work outside of my office. Naturally, I end up in white people’s favorite morning to midday spot — a coffee shop! 

I now have to confess my curiosity. While I completely understand why and how I have the freedom to sit in a coffee shop for hours at a time… what the heck are the couple hundred other people who come in and out of that coffee shop during my time there doing? How are so many people not in an office, or in a restaurant, or a school, or a store?

In a time of economic frailty, we’re surrounded by “workers” with increasingly flexible schedules and work locations. Are we on to something here? Is there an uprising? A new model?

Are we now confronted with the normalcy of the non-40 hour, 9-5 employee? Are we ready for that? Are you? Am I?

As I think through this, I have to admit that I wonder if we just have a younger generation of “adults” who are refusing to get “real jobs” and just leeching off of each other and possibly even their parents. But maybe it’s not true. So there are 2 options (and more to be sure):

1) We still have a culture and society that requires and desperately needs people to fill traditional, 9-5 roles and yet we can’t find people willing to do it. We have more and more adults who are spoiled and refused to submit to “the man” by sitting at a desk for a corporation. No one wants to work like their parents and grandparents, and this is possibly leading to the slow erosion of our culture and economy. 

2) The society and culture has evolved in such a way that non-traditional jobs are possible, promoted, and even necessary. The younger culture that doesn’t want a corporate career for 25 years in the same job is pushing back and altering the course of American history. It could be for better, it could be for worse. But we can’t just judge it negatively because it’s “different” than our collective American memory. 

Here’s the kicker: spending and consumption hasn’t gotten better, it’s getting worse. It’s as if a 27 year old wants the perks and benefits that their father and grandfather worked 20 years for (a 4 bedroom in the suburbs, nice new cars, a jet-ski and disposable income); except he wants it now.

All I know is that I know nothing. I don’t understand our economy, our government or our nation’s evolving and complex infrastructure. It took years and years to build, it’s not coming crashing down overnight (save for the economy I guess). But times they are a’changin. How are we going to adapt? How are we going to move forward with a Better World/Kingdom mentality? 

Things are confusing and overwhelming. That’s why if the only person I can change is me, then I better get started.

(Yes, yes.. I realize that only a privileged person in the first world could even write such garbage… )

technology owns you!

It’s almost 2:00 and I’m sitting in Red Horse downtown working on teaching material for this weekend’s Universitas. We’re going to look at the idea of contrition and you should definitely join us if you’re town. I’m sitting in the window at a small table with my headphones on, attached to my ipod which is playing some Sigur Ros. I’ve read through this passage in Luke like 400 times trying to absorb it and I’m getting a little distracted. I’m writing this because I have my headphones on, sitting with my laptop and my cell phone spread out next to my Bible, notebook, and a copy of Richard Foster’s Prayer.

About 4-5 years ago I was working on my undergrad at Mississippi State and my friend Trey was working on his MBA. Trey’s from small-town Mississippi (I can’t say much, I’m from small-town Alabama…but that’s beside the point) and actually a very old-fashioned guy. I remember a conversation with Trey where he was ranting on and on about walking across the MSU campus and every person either had a cell phone to their head or had earphones plugged in. “Doesn’t anybody talk to each other in person anymore?” Trey asked, or something similar. What’s amazing about Trey’s foresight is that the Ipod had hardly taken off then–the use of personal technologies was mild compared to what is in 2008. At that time I still only had a personal discman, which rocked. I may use it to study while tucked away in the library (err…somewhere…), but I would never walk across the campus and ignore the thousands of people I passed on a daily basis. However, today I am affected by this technological plague. I’m much better at typing than at conversation, and I usually prefer to text rather than call. Is this the world we live in, and we should just go with it? Or are there things to rebel against as a follower of Jesus in this age of technology?