{"id":22111,"date":"2019-03-07T22:12:50","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T06:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=22111"},"modified":"2019-03-07T22:12:50","modified_gmt":"2019-03-08T06:12:50","slug":"communal-individualism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/communal-individualism\/","title":{"rendered":"Communal Individualism"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Sex with robots and trading one\u2019s boyfriend for a something mechanical<\/span><\/span><\/span>1<\/a><\/span><\/sup><\/span> in order to fulfill ones desires are both systemic issues of a greater self-fulfilling problem within this world. Finding happiness and purposes seems to be be closely tied with the personal need to meet ones own need above anyone else. This selfish and ultimately destructive focus is seen as being truly authentic with oneself regardless of the impact it has on anyone else. I am in agreement with one reviewer that complained that they needed to send Grant the bill for purchasing new highlighters saying, \u201cI wonder if it would have been more efficient to highlight the few portions that I<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>wasn<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019t<\/i><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>particularly challenged by and just let the rest of his prose lie untouched.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span>2<\/a><\/span><\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I should confess that recently I have read less of the each of the books than I would have liked to. However Grant\u2019s, \u201cDivine Sex\u201d was different. It was a compelling read that captivated me and I read about 80% of it. The only reason I did not finish it was that I ran out of airports and airplanes to read it in before I needed to blog. This book drew me in as I began to see not only my friends that have struggled in marriage but also could see the influence within local Chinese family dynamics within the pages. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Grants writes, \u201cDespite the importance of relationships, the focus and priority is always the journey of each individual self.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span>3<\/a><\/span><\/sup><\/span> \"\"<\/a>This is being seen in struggles that Chinese young people are having with their traditionalist parents. Parents that pushing for marriage, grandkids and buying a home to settle down in. This cultural clash between the communal family values and the communal world view of self-first is changing even a traditional country like China. The consumer mentality that has so invaded every aspect of the West, has dug its teeth firmly in this country that has longed to play on the global market. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A Chinese blogger writes that a person\u2019s,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026individual growth is more important for many young people than having a family\u2026. Traveling, working out at the gym, beauty treatments, social networking, higher education and other activities occupy their single lives, keeping marriage out of sight.<\/i> [<\/span><\/span>The author continues<\/span><\/span>] It might sound cool to be single\u2026 The reality is many people in their 20s or even 30s don’t know how to go about household chores, or are afraid to take up family responsibility\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/span>4<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/sup> <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To bring a balance to this issue so it doesn\u2019t look like these individual\u2019s are totally swimming counter to the culture, she also brings the points that,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven if young people want to have children, fertility among Chinese is a serious concern. China might be in the midst of a sperm crisis. Research shows that Chinese men produce less sperm in their semen. Infertility caused by exposure to pollution and chemicals is faced by both the sexes\u2026Survey shows that the total fertility rate in northeastern provinces is among the lowest in the world and was even considerably lower than in Japan, a country with a large aging population.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/span>5<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Seeing this clash of individualistic and communal desires, she says,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are often confused about what we want in life. But it is important to understand that what is good for our future does not necessarily mirror the trend\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/span>[then to provide the balance she says]<\/span><\/span>\u2026Though we revel in the glamour of a single’s life, there are moments that make it remorseful – the dark evening, festival seasons – when we yearn for the desire to be loved. It is what families could provide.\u201d\"\"<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Chinese consumerism is ever growing. Global companies are continuing to invade this market in order to get a piece of the the Chinese economic pie. Included in this are on-line dating companies trying to help fill the gap of historic matchmakers or grandparents that will hold up resumes in parks for perspective families to review. With the shift (although more gradual than the West) toward self, this has help fuel the desire to make decisions that benefit an individual over the family unit. This is especially true within the larger urban areas and celebrated every 11.11 (November 11)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I worry about my children and those Chinese \u201ckids\u201d that I also claim. I worry about the boiling frog analogy as it relates to our Christian walk within this influential culture. I know we are influenced by the world, the media we are choosing to engage with as well as the friends we hang around. Like the frog that is slow boiled, are we aware of the subtle changes in our own ways of thinking? Who is influencing whom? One review said this, \u201cWe need to present, through teaching but not just through teaching, a holistic vision for sexual wholeness that<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span>s different from, and counter to\u2014and more beautiful than\u2014the dominant cultural script that most people habitually absorb every day.\u201d<\/span><\/span>6<\/a><\/span><\/sup> I whole-heartedly agree but then wonder how to move forward. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Grant gives us some direction to start, \u201cSustaining faithful relationships and encouraging the ability to live disciplined sexual lives may be one of the most influential missional tasks of the contemporary church as we witness to the kingdom of God in the midst of a sexually confused and relationally fatalistic culture.\u201d<\/span><\/span>7<\/a><\/span><\/sup> So as we represent Christ on the missional fields we are given, we are tasked to develop faithful relationships. It is in those relationships that the hidden and secret questions begin to arise. I will admit that I challenged by this book and finding I have more questions than answers. What I do know is when we walk with friends without judgement and without the desire to simply bring them to our church, true difference can be made in the lives of those looking for authenticity.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

1<\/a> Grant, Jonathan. <\/span><\/span>Divine Sex<\/i><\/span>. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 85<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

2<\/a>https:\/\/www.prestonsprinkle.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/2\/divine-sex-a-review-part-1<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u> accessed March 8, 2019<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

3<\/a> Grant, Jonathan. <\/span><\/span>Divine Sex<\/i><\/span>. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 32<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

4<\/a> Wong, Lilly. <\/span><\/span>Traditional family gives way to individualism<\/i><\/span><\/span>.2018\/12\/24. <\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.globaltimes.cn\/content\/1133369.shtml<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u> accessed on March 8, 2019<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

5<\/a> Ibid<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

6<\/a> https:\/\/www.prestonsprinkle.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/2\/divine-sex-a-review-part-1<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u> accessed March 8, 2019<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

7<\/a> Grant, 28<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sex with robots and trading one\u2019s boyfriend for a something mechanical1 in order to fulfill ones desires are both systemic issues of a greater self-fulfilling problem within this world. Finding happiness and purposes seems to be be closely tied with the personal need to meet ones own need above anyone else. This selfish and ultimately […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1477],"class_list":["post-22111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-grant","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22111"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22119,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22111\/revisions\/22119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}