A few events have occured that have led me to think more about the "American Dream". Tonight, as I was watching CNN, there was a segment on border control. There was a report from this city in Texas that is near the border. This city conducts all of its city meetings in Spanish.
The reporter said that nearly everyone in the city speaks Spanish, and hardly anyone speaks English.
Well, Anderson Cooper was interviewing that reporter and some other guy (I can't remember exactly who he represented) but Anderson asked if either of the men thought it was good for the city to be conducting their meetings in Spanish instead of English.
One side said that it really was too insignificant to be an issue and the other man said that it was important for the children of that community to know English. He said it was important in reaching the "American Dream"...he kept mentioning the "American Dream" and I started remembering all of the things I have been reading lately that deeply considers the "American Dream".
I'm currently reading a great book by Shane Claiborne, called the Irresistible Revolution, and he refers to this term and really reinforces what I have been hearing more and more lately, and believing too.
The "American Dream" needs to be updated.
The A.D. (As I will refer to it) is old. It doesn't know about the state of our world now. If everyone in the world wanted to reach this ever-so-admirable A.D. then the world we live in would be destroyed. There is not enough resources for everyone to live the A.D.
This does not mean that this A.D. should be limited to us here in the good ole USA...but it really means that we should think about giving the A.D. a makeover. Maybe even rename it.
The new A.D. should take into consideration our resources and our precious Earth. It should take into consideration basic human rights and needs of everyone. It should revolve around the opportunity to live a life of true equality. Sustainability for both living beings and the living sphere of mass we live on.
But what a double edged sword this life is. To obtain a life of comfort and ease is just what Jesus wants to get us out of. He tells us to become the least to become great, to throw away everything to gain everything. (maybe not His exact words, but you know)
what do you think about all of this. it is such a struggle to want to be successful and live in comfort but then to remember that if we have an extra shirt we should give it away.
I think there are different measurements of success, as in, successfully happy, or successfully...rich, poor, what have you.
It's certainly an interesting concept to consider and re-evaluate.
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