I agree that what is often referred to as "white flight" from the suburbs, and I use that term because of your highlighting the only black Senator making the case that the Federal response was not predicated on race but class. Either way, economic disparities in this nation do have an adverse affect on the quality of life of people. It's not exactly related, but when the fact that part of the money that schools receive is tied to property taxes, it does seem to create a system that in extreme casessis hard on the children of the economically disadvantaged and further perpetuates a cycle of continuing iniquity.
I am blessed to live in a suburb that is not too nice, but not too shabby and offers the best school district that I could afford for my children.

I think your observation on property taxes is quite related, in fact. It's another element that contributes to sort of a cycle in which economically disadvantaged people seem to get stuck, often through what seems to me to be little fault of their own. And I think that's something of what Obama's comments were driving at as well - that's why he makes the distinction between active malice and passive indifference. Thanks for your excellent comments!

I would suggest that the flight to the suburbs follows your economic thesis more so than a racial thesis. African-Americans who have the economic power to leave the inner city do so even though they often suffer the criticism of their friends and family who are economically bound to the inner city.

It is true that people of minority races have more limited access to the economic power that allows escape to the suburbs, but that doesn't negate your original thesis.

There is another phenomonon that is similar to the flight from inner city to the suburbs. That is the flight from economically depressed rural areas and small towns to the suburbs of large cities. This flight is also fueled by economic power, and brought about because of the pursuit of happiness and desire for greater choice in life.

This same set of dynamics can be seen in the flight from economically depressed nations to the United States and other economically developed natiions.

The plight of the disadvantaged is an important and legitimate concern for Christianity and always will be. It also is being addressed in other forums.

I am very interested in your development of a theology of the suburbs. As a suburban pastor, I am faced every day with trying to miinister to a very diverse group of people, all of whom have one commonality, that is they have found the economic means to pursue happiness and have increasingly more choices available to them in suburbia.

In my opinion, Christianity and its ideals fly in the face of economic power and the use of it to pursue happiness. Happiness is as fleet as a bird to those who seek to purchase it with whatever manmade power they achieve. What I seek is way to minister to those who climb the ladder of economic success and come away disappointed and disillusioned because in the end that path does not lead to happiness at all. And I also seek a way to guide those still on the quest that don't know they seek a hollow dream.

I hope you don't get side-tracked and lose the impetus for developing your thoughts on this original subject.

Happy Easter!

Joel - apologies for my delay in response here. I think you bring up a good point. It's certainly not the case that there is a clear racial demarkation in suburbia - your observation of the flight of those of all races from troubled urban areas is absolutely true. The challenge is that those who are unable to participate in those choices are more often - but not exclusively - those of ethnicities other than white. So I think there's a racial context here, but to Obama's point, it's more systemic than actively malicious.

The challenge that we face as Christians in suburban contexts is how to address these kinds of issues that are cyclical and systemic, and as a result affect those of ethnicities other than white to a greater degree. I don't pretend to have much in the way of answers here - I think that first we need to begin to understand something of which a lot of us have no experience.

Thanks for the good thoughts here.

It's taken me a few days to gather some thoughts around this (mostly because I've had other things occupying my mind- woo hoo!), but I feel like I need to chip in because I'm partially responsible for this turn.

Straight up: If the "Good News" ain't good news for the poor, oppressed and marginalized, then it ain't the "Good News". That, I think, should be the working assumption when tackling any theology. Jesus is quite clear in the Gospels that this is his mission (remember Isaiah 58 & "a prophet is not without honor..."?), and it should be ours as well.

I'm going to paint in broad strokes here:

I believe that if Christianity (or Judaism or Islam, for that matter) is about anything, it's about community. The Western monotheistic religions all have a strong communal ethic that guides their adherents.

One that Christians share with Jews is the exhortation care for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger because we, too, were once widows, orphans, and strangers. God makes it plain to the ancient Israelites all throughout the Torah that they were redeemed from Egypt not by the work of their own hand, but by the work of God's hand. As such, they should always remember this frailty, and never assume that they should not be required to show mercy and compassion upon others, for they, too, are not capable of redeeming themselves out of Egypt. In light of that we should always endeavor to live into the calling given to Abraham in Genesis 12 - We are blessed to be a blessing, not to strive for more blessing.

This, friends, is why the argument of "don't blame these folks, they were just getting themselves out" doesn't hold water for me. I do blame theme because they�re job is not just to get themselves, but to make sure that everyone walks out of Egypt together. We live together and we die together.

Joel wrote:

What I seek is way to minister to those who climb the ladder of economic success and come away disappointed and disillusioned because in the end that path does not lead to happiness at all. And I also seek a way to guide those still on the quest that don't know they seek a hollow dream.

Forgive me for being bold, but the way you do that is by preaching the Gospel that Jesus preached. The balm that is in Gilead is the balm that you place on another. I, frankly, don�t care one bit about a suburbanite�s disillusionment and disappointment when my neighbor, her husband, their 3 kids, and the cousin that they graciously agreed to let live with them (because he�s poorer than they are) are all cramming into a 3 bedroom apartment, but still have trouble making rent and eating.

Here�s a video of Bono at the National Prayer Breakfast that addresses the heart of what I�m saying, but on a global scale. (It�s amusing to me that many white Christians are okay helping �brown people� as long as they live on another part of Earth.)

Landon said: "I, frankly, don�t care one bit about a suburbanite�s disillusionment and disappointment when my neighbor, her husband, their 3 kids, and the cousin that they graciously agreed to let live with them (because he�s poorer than they are) are all cramming into a 3 bedroom apartment, but still have trouble making rent and eating."

You warned me you were going to be bold, but I didn't expect pompous and bigoted as well. I DO care about the lost souls who sacrifice themselves for the god of wealth and power because they think that their wealth and power will save them. Having said that does not make me less concerned for those who hunger and thirst after more than "righteousness" but real food and real water, afordable housing, a decent paying job, medicine for the sick babies...

Blogs are free. Go get yourself one and devote it to the subjects that you desire to discuss and let theopraxis continue to develop his own theme. And feel free to drop by my blog if you wish. I preached a sermon on Bono's comments to the President's Prayer breakfast. You might find it interesting.

Ok, I've been mulling on this for a few days, and I've got some thoughts.

Landon - I'm tracking with you, right up until here:

This, friends, is why the argument of "don't blame these folks, they were just getting themselves out" doesn't hold water for me. I do blame theme because they're job is not just to get themselves, but to make sure that everyone walks out of Egypt together.

Here's what I mean: I don't want to suggest that "justice" is about making sure that everyone can get in on the consumer lifestyle. That's not justice. That's further oppression. Moving up the ladder is one thing - but I think we need to change ladders. And yes, for certain, that involves bringing more economic power to those in impoverished areas. But we need to do so in such a way that doesn't simply recreate the issues of the suburbs, and I'm not aware of anyone who's approaching the issue from that angle. It's not about making sure that everyone can get the same stuff - it's about removing our reliance on the stuff in the first place.

All that to say - can you clarify what you're saying a bit here? And I'll echo Joel's concern that, for those of us who minister in suburban contexts, we don't get a choice about caring about the suburbanite's disillusionment. Yes, we need to call them to something greater - but we also need to pick them up and bind the wounds of a society that's running them - us - into the ground in a consumptive frenzy. So I hear what you're saying, and I'm sympathetic to it, but I think you're overstating a bit here.

Joel - I appreciate what you're saying here, but I don't think I'd choose those same words. Fair? ;)

Thanks, Scott for your thoughtful response. It has always been one of my failures to pop off at the mouth (keyboard) and think later. You are right about the use of the wrong words. And I apologize to Landon.

This is great stuff Scott. Brueggemann is one of my favorite theologians. I didn't find the audio you mentioned but a search of the web did turn up an audio that he did on much the same subject. If there is a link to the audio you mention would you share it with us.

Thanks.

Sorry for the absense - laptop went dead, wife had a baby...you know the drill.

Joel - apology accepted. (ps - I have my own blog)

Scott - Egypt was about material slavery, and anyone who says that slavery in USAmerica is long gone is fooling themselves.

I'm with you - I don't want to see anyone subject to the principlaities and powers of suburbia, but I also don't want to ignore the fact that there are some folks that need material wealth and they need it right now.

As white folks, it's difficult - nay, virtually impossible - for us to have any clear perspective on the black situation. I haven't read the rest of the series (since getting back online), but I wonder what it would look like written by a minority voice. Would it instead be a "Theology for the Suburbs"?

You see, I want to be very clear to not equate the plight of the material poor with those that are "slaves to the consumer culture." They are not the same thing, and it's easy for us to talk about the hollowness of consumerism and wealth because we have it.

I would submit that we don't help folks out of that "Egpyt" because that would mean material sacrifice of our own goods, etc. I also said:

We live together and we die together.

So that's what I mean by Egpyt and not caring about suburbanites.

I want to be very clear to not equate the plight of the material poor with those that are "slaves to the consumer culture." They are not the same thing, and it's easy for us to talk about the hollowness of consumerism and wealth because we have it.

I would submit that we don't help folks out of that "Egpyt" because that would mean material sacrifice of our own goods, etc.

I have seen dirt poor, needy white people. And I have seen materially wealthy, spiritually empty people of every color. We should address the needs of people, be they spiritual or material. Race may indeed play a part in determing someone's economic status but that is beside the point. Meet spiritual needs and racism decreases. Meet material needs and poverty decreases. I know that's easier said than done--I just mean that we should spend less time complaining, feeling guilty or pointing the finger with regards to the problems of racial disparity, and more time simply addressing how to meet the needs of all races and socioeconomic groups.

I see the point and purpose of this series is to focus on understanding and addressing the spiritual needs of the consumption oriented suburbanite, regardless of his/her race. And the posts and comments have all been extremely interesting and insightful. Thanks