VROOOOOOM
How we as Christians make ethical decisions isn’t a straightforward process. It’s not nearly as simple as ‘The Bible Says.’ After all, what does the Bible say about nuclear power or in vitro fertilization or heavily fertilized land? In The Matrix of Christian Ethics by Patrick Nullens and Ronald Michener create a matrix of ideas and philosophies to help a Christian respond faithfully to complicated ethical issues in today’s world.
One of things I appreciate about this book is the grace with which the two authors approach their subject. They don’t argue for one correct theory or lens to use for complicated ethical issues. Instead, they highlight the pros and cons of many theories and encourage people to struggle to find answers. They go on to write, “Yet answer or no answers, we firmly believe that we must still courageously make ethical decisions in the mucky water we live in. Simply to postpone or defer all ethical decisions for lack of fully determinate understanding would be a moral travesty.” (pg. 243). The authors seem to care as much about how a person reaches a decision as the decision itself (obviously that’s an over simplification). For Christians in the 21st century that live in a diverse, post-modern, globalized world that’s an important reminder. Near the end of the book, they reference purchasing a car as an example of a contemporary ethical decision, which reminded me of two personal stories.
One of the things I love about travel is that it opens people up to the realities of how the rest of the world lives. On several occasions, we’ve taken the long way to South Africa via Amsterdam or London. On one trip, I was with an extremely wealthy friend who was on his first trip to a developing world country. As we were at the airport getting ready to board the London to Johannesburg leg, I pointed to a Lamborghini (which he could easily afford) and asked my friend, “Is owning that a sin?” He thought for a moment and gave a kind of shrug but seemed to think it wasn’t.
We spent the next 10 days in conditions he had never experienced before. He saw what it was like to live (and die) on less that $1 a day. We had slow conversations over the week about that Lamborgini. Could a Christian own one? Why would they need to own it? Why does someone buy a Lamborghini? Is it the perfect around-the-town car or a kid friendly carrier? Does it haul a trailer? Is it to show status and wealth and to draw attention to one’s self? Could the money be used for something else? We talked through a variety of biblical and theological ways to look at the problem.
As we were leaving Johannesburg, there was a Ferrari on display at the airport, and I asked my same friend if owning it was a sin, and he unequivocally said “yes.” What happened in those short 10 days? Here’s what I think happened:
1. My friend looked at the issue through a variety of lenses. Before the trip, the primary lens he used was consumer Christianity. Now the lens was broadened to include a variety of thoughts and experiences.
2. My friend actually had time to stop and think through the issue. The ethicalness of a certain car isn’t something that one spends much time or energy pondering over. But given the time and space, he made a thoughtful decision.
3. My friend was forced to have a conversation with others. So often we think that personal decisions are private decisions, and we don’t spend the time and energy conversing with others.
My friend isn’t the only one whose had that experience. My family loves to camp and spend time outdoors, and we wanted an RV to make that experience much easier, relaxing and frequent. But, I’m on a church staff and more importantly I’m a Jesus follower. What would a purchase like that communicate? My wife and I spent a considerable amount of time thinking through the issue with various lenses and asked as many questions as we could. We also talked with several people that would push back on that desire if push back was needed. We didn’t want them to say ‘yes’ automatically. In the end, we got the trailer, and it has been one of the best things for us as a family. It gives us uninterrupted time with our kids and gets us away from the ‘urban jungle’ of our life.
Did we make the wrong decision? Possibly, but I don’t think we did. Or, we could have made the right decision for all the wrong reasons. That’s why a book like this is important; it forces us to stop and thoughtfully examine the process of how we make ethical choices that are faithful to who we are as followers of Christ.
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