Since we’ve been in South Africa, we’ve had a couple of Friday evenings where we met up with some friends to enjoy South African wine and aged cheese. They have been evenings where our mouths have not only celebrated the beautiful complexity of flavors that burst forth as the cheese and wine intertwine, but they’ve also been evenings where we’ve enjoyed both conversations and laughter with others. And yet, as delightful as these things are, at least for me, they aren’t the pinnacle of the evening. Why? Let’s start with a few moments reflecting in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Now, the book of Ecclesiastes is one that puzzles most people who read it because the author is continually declaring that everything is meaningless under the sun. In words that could just as easily have been penned by Frederick Nietzsche, the narrator of the book who describes himself as the Preacher, argues the pointlessness of wisdom, self-indulgence, toil, wealth, and honor. While he deems some paths of life to be of greater value than others, in the end he declares we all die, so really, there’s no difference between the wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor. Rather, he urges all to make the most of what they’ve got while they have it. You could say that, through most of the book, the Preacher’s only valuable suggestion is for people to live in the now.

However, scattered among the dominate argument, the Preacher drops in hints that there is something more. One place we see a hint is at the end of Ecclesiastes 2:24-26:

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat and who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This is also vanity and a striving after wind.

So, as these verses open, we have a bit that says, “Live in the now.” This is followed by a question on the source of all things and then the division of humanity into two groups, those who please God and sinners. For the sinners, life is spent gathering and collecting, but in the end, all that is earned will ultimately be passed onto someone who pleases God, and therefore that work and toil, even if it was enjoyed while it lasted, is rendered meaningless. However, to those who please God, there is not only the spoils of the sinners work, but “wisdom and knowledge and joy.” But what exactly does all this mean?

First, we need to distinguish the difference between one who pleases God and sinners. Now, typically, people tend to try and create the division between those who do good things and those who do bad things, however, there’s no reference to behavior here in Ecclesiastes, rather, as I pointed out earlier, the Preacher tends to see little difference between those who live a noble life and those who live a scandalous one because; in the end, the lives of both the honorable and the dishonorable end in death. This means that the Preacher must know of another means to divide the two groups, a knowledge that is made known in his question, “This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat and who can have enjoyment?” a question that sent my mind to the words of Martin Luther as he explained the first article of the Apostles’ Creed (this link goes to Luther’s Small Catechism, once there, click on the link to the Creed for Luther’s full explanation):

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures … He also gives me … all I have … For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

So, what’s the litmus test to divide between those the Preacher categorizes and sinners versus those who please God? It’s not an issue of behavior, rather, it’s an issue of having faith, a faith that begins with the recognition that God in fact is the source of all that you have. But there’s something more, something that comes through more profoundly (although, given our penchant for viewing the Hebrew Bible as a book of laws, not more clearly) as the Preacher closes out his discourse in Ecclesiastes 12 and, as if speaking to his child, bestows fatherly wisdom with two key admonitions. First, the Preacher advises his readers to remember their Creator in the days of their youth, and second, to remember to fear God and keep his commandments. Another way of phrasing the Preacher’s advice would be to remember everything that God has done, which goes far beyond providing daily bread, and to respond by living in a way that both remembers and honors God’s grace.

This is where we need to return to the Creed, because when Ecclesiastes was written, the full scope of God’s gracious action had yet to be revealed. Certainly, for an Israelite reading Ecclesiastes, talk about what God had done and commanded was intimately tied to his gracious action as described in Exodus 20:2, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” but today, God’s gone even further by sending his Son into the world to not only die upon the cross, but rise as a prelude to our own resurrection, a resurrection that Isaiah 25:6 describes this way:

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

Oddly enough, this brings me back to my opening statement about our wine and cheese get togethers. If I took the route that Ecclesiastes describes as meaningless and vanity, then the highlight of our evenings together would be the friendship, the laughter, the flavors, and maybe even the gladdening of the heart that comes from splitting a bottle of wine with someone. However, because I have faith in all that God has done, because I know that all good things come from him and that, through his Son I’ve been invited to a resurrection life, then, on those evenings and throughout all of my life, I’m not living in the now, but living in the then. For me, the pinnacle of those evenings is that with every bite, every sip, every laugh, and every moment, I am, in a small way, experiencing the resurrection life that God has made available to me through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Okay, so I realize there’s a lot there, and most likely, quite a few questions that flow from assumptions I’ve made about how we read and understand Scripture. But the point of all this is to launch a dialogue, so let’s talk a bit.

• What questions do you have about my understanding of grace in the Hebrew Bible?
• Do you see any disconnects in my logic?
• How have you typically viewed social gatherings? Have I reshaped your thinking at all?
• Where else in your life can you see yourself living in the then?

The morning started off innocently enough. Robbie had woken up and, as usual, the first words out of his mouth were, “I’m hungry.” This was followed by him crawling into our bed to both cuddle and make sure that neither of us could fall back asleep. In the midst of our playing with him and joking about his incessant eating, Anita saw a large bug on our bedroom wall and asked me to engage in my husbandly duty of killing it. Wanting to honor my wife, I got up and went to grab a bit of toilet paper so I could strike down the savage beast. In other words, everything seemed normal, at least until I walked into the bathroom and found the shade pulled up, the window wide open, and the chord used to raise and lower the shade tied to a pipe outside the bathroom window. Anita seemed to know instantly just what had happened, and she walked to our office to confirm her suspicions. As I started to put the pieces together, she called out from the other room, “They’re gone.” I stepped into the hallway, looked towards the office, and saw the table that had been home to our laptops … my brand new MacBook and our old iBook G4… were missing. I went to talk to the other American couple who are living on campus only to find out that their laptop and cell phone had also been stolen in the night. As we stood there angry and violated, we were left with the lingering question, “What is the response of someone who is seeking to repent and believe to this or any other injustice?”

But before we begin to look to answers to that question, let’s take things a step further. This crime happened in South Africa where, for hundreds of years, injustices have been committed by the white minority towards the black, Indian, and colored (which is an acceptable term here) majority. This racially based subjugation of people only escalated in the 20th Century with Apartheid, and didn’t come to a formal end until recently (although ethnic tensions still run high). In fact, the theft of our laptops happened between the 20th anniversary of former President F.W. de Klerk’s announcement that he was disbanding Apartheid and the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. In South Africa today, there is still rampant inequality and injustice, which only feeds crime, much of which is viewed as a modern day Robin Hood scenario where there is theft from the rich so the poor may survive. In other words, there are some who would argue that the theft of our laptops, which we viewed as an injustice towards us, was in fact, one small piece of bringing about justice in South Africa. To give you an idea of just how far this view goes, when we called the police to report the break-in, the officer listened to our story, told us that he’d enter the information in the computer, and then hung up (as you might guess, when we followed up later, no entry had been made). As we talked to others, they relayed that the police had no response to multiple intrusions, and in one case, came when the resident had captured the thief in his home, only to take the thief to the street and release him because he hadn’t managed to steal anything before getting caught.

So, what is the response of someone who is seeking to repent and believe to this or any other injustice? One automatic response would be to place the matter in the hands of the local authority, an action that would be in line with Paul’s teaching in Romans 13:1-5, where he states that God has established government to punish those who do evil:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

But obviously, in South Africa, putting the matter in the hands of the local police doesn’t result in justice being done, rather, it only welcomes further violations because there is no punishment for wrong-doing. At this point, we might assume that since the police don’t do the job, then it’s time to go all Charles Bronson and take up the vigilante approach to crime, which, is simply the Robin Hood approach turned on it’s head. However, if we take time to read through the prophets in the Hebrew Bible, we’ll discover that God’s people, when injustice is committed against them, aren’t invited to seek revenge, be it Robin Hood or Bronson-style, rather, God’s people are to seek reconciliation and justice through peaceable means. Moreover, if revenge is ultimately necessary, it will be God himself who brings it about.

Now if it’s God who brings it about, what are we who seek to repent and believe to do here and now in response to injustice? I would propose that this is where the Church can make use of the imprecatory Psalms, those occasional Psalms that make us feel uncomfortable because of their harsh language. Just in case you’re not sure what I’m talking about, here’s a couple of examples:

Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. (Psalm 69:22-28)

Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! May his days be few; may another take his office! May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! (Psalm 109:6-15)

While we can be honest that these Psalms don’t sound very Christian or loving, we also have to admit two other realities. One, they express how we feel when injustice is committed against us. Now, maybe in our own self-righteous piety we don’t want to go as far as Psalm 137 and bash the heads of children against rocks, but there is a legitimate desire on our part for things to be made right, after all, that’s why we call the police, play Robin Hood, or go all Charles Bronson on someone. Second, if we read these Psalms in their entirety, they place great faith and trust in God. We could even say that these Psalms put words to our human wishes and desires, but then also force us to place the issue in the hands of God so that he can bring about justice.

And that’s why I think they’re helpful when injustice has been committed. I’ll be honest, when I first realized that someone had broken into my home while my family and I slept, I was outraged, not just because property was taken, but because my family was put at risk. What would have happened if Robbie had woken up and stumbled upon the intruders? As that possibility crossed my mind and heart, I did wish for violence to be done against those who came into our home and anyone who was an accomplice in the break in … and I didn’t want it to be quick and painless, I wanted a Jack Bauer interrogation level of punishment. In the process, I prayed my own imprecatory psalms against the criminals, but like the Psalmists, I didn’t just layout my desired vengeance, I also placed my trust in God’s promise to, in this life or in eternity, bring about justice. I admitted that, outside of working with the legal system that was available, the crime wasn’t mine to resolve, rather, the task was left to the established authority and ultimately to God.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on my thoughts. To get things going, here’s a few questions for discussion fodder:

• How in your life have you experienced injustice? What was the resolution?
• Do you agree that, ultimately, justice needs to be left in the hands of God and his established authority? Are there situations where you’d challenge this claim?
• What do you think about my use of the Imprecatory Psalms as a model of prayer when injustice has been committed?

Postscript 1: After developing my thoughts, I had to go to the local police station to get a case number for insurance purposes. When I went to the station, wearing my collar, and carrying a child, they were much more responsive and not only filled out a police report, but sent out an investigator to collect fingerprints. While I’m still not impressed, I did want to honor the action they did eventually take.

Postscript 2: A couple days after our laptops were taken, I received an email from an individual who had purchased my MacBook. He found my information still on it and emailed to find out why I sold it, and wanted to get a bit of information on the machine. When I told him that it had been stolen, he went back to the guy he bought it from, got his money back, and returned my computer to me. There’s no news on the iBook and we’re filing an insurance claim for it (although most of the value will be eaten up by the deductible).

While my international travel had me a bit behind on all things iPad, once I’d settled in where I had a reasonable Internet connection, I checked out Apple’s latest product and shared my initial reactions on Facebook. I basically called it what the MacBook Air wanted to be, but wasn’t; that is, an uber-light web terminal that provides quick and easy access to your online world (with the bonus feature of having a potentially killer calendar app). A few people offered their initial reactions as well, including my brother who wrote:

Apple has mastered the art of capitalism and consumerism… create a product that nobody really needs with a bunch of fun, yet mostly pointless, apps and then convince people that they actually need it to make their lives happier. I DO have to tip my hat to that even if I doubt I will ever own one.

I’ll admit that my initial reaction was to get defensive, after all, I’m a self-confessed Mac junkie, you know, the type who has gotten up early in the morning on the day a new product is released and has sat in line before the store opened (which, by the way, is an incredible community experience that, sadly, Christian congregations rarely offer). However, as I considered the way Mac advertises, and how others respond when they get their hands on my iPhone and immediately ask what games I have on it (the answer is, I don’t because I didn’t like the amount of time I wasted playing them), in the end, I had to, at least at a large level, agree with him.

As a result of his comments, over the past number of days, I’ve been wrestling with the issue of faith and consumerism. Now, I don’t want to come out and say that all products like the iPhone, iPad, or any whatever else is out there is inherently evil and that no self-respecting Christian should own one, but if my brother is right, and I’m inclined to say that he is, then how does a life of faith invite us to respond to products that are developed primarily to feed into our consumer culture?

First, this assumes that a consumer culture is a bad thing, which I’d argue it is, and it doesn’t matter how you define it:

• Increased consumption is good for the economy. No, responsible consumption might be, but purely increased makes the rich richer, the poor poorer, and the middle-class debt-laden, something that stands in strong opposition to the Bible’s notion of justice.
• Buying stuff will bring personal fulfillment and make you happy. No, it will just give you a temporary high that will quickly wear off and leave you pining for more stuff. This is what Scripture would call idolatry, and the pining part, is the evidence that your false god has failed you.

So, if consumer culture is one of those things that Christ calls us to repent of, and if we’re to believe in the gospel and the Kingdom of God that the gospel invites us into, how should Christians approach products that were created for a consumer culture that we’re no longer a part of? Here are a few guiding questions that I’ve come up with:

• How will this product help me to love God and serve my neighbor? At first, this might sound like a question that automatically deserves the answer, “It won’t.” but I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. For example, I’m an idea person, which means my mind, at the oddest times, comes up with all kinds of ideas that are helpful for preaching, teaching, or some other ministry project (all of which help me to serve my neighbor). However, the ideas come in flashes and if I don’t get them recorded immediately, they’re lost. Now, I used to try and write them down on paper, but the vast majority of my notes ended up getting lost or going through the washing machine (the same thing would happen with reminders of things that I needed to do after a conversation or a meeting). However, with my iPhone and the combination of the Evernote and OmniFocus apps, I’ve not only retained my ideas, but I’ve been able to put them to use, and I’ve been more efficient at getting things that need to get done, done. In this way and others, my iPhone has helped me to serve my neighbor (although, I will be the first to admit that I haven’t always managed it well and it’s also served as a distraction).
• What is currently filling the role the new product would serve? Given that it was the iPad that started this conversation, and that I just mentioned my iPhone, this seems like a good follow-up question. Incorporated into this question is the debate as to whether the new product is substantially better at filling this role (my iPhone over paper) or just nominally better / equivalent (an iPad over my iPhone). It seems that if you’re not significantly improving your ability to love God or serve your neighbor, then you’re really just being one with the consumer culture that you’ve been called out of.
• If the new product does allow you to love and serve significantly better, is there a reason to keep the less effective product? Now, in the case of going from paper to my iPhone, this really wasn’t important, however, if I’d come to the conclusion that an iPad would be a significant upgrade to my iPhone, then I’d have to ask what to do with my iPhone. I’d have to explore the resale value, the cost of a dumb phone and an iPad when compared to an iPhone, and the cost of getting rid of the iPhone (you know, that pesky contract with AT&T).

There’s a few of my initial thoughts on this issue. I’d love to have this turn into a conversation so, what are your thoughts? If you’re not sure where to start, how about:

• Do you disagree with my premise that being a part of consumer culture is being a part “of” the world (as opposed to being “in” it)?
• How would you adjust the guidelines offered?
• What other guidelines would you include?
• Am I out of line when I make the claim that my iPhone has helped me to serve my neighbor?