October 14, 2002
ANOTHER VIEW:
Rural values should guide every life
___Politicians and media preachers speak fondly of our "American values" today.
___Sociologist Robert Bellah evaluates the competition between values of individualism and of commitment to the larger group. He suggests individualism's victory threatens our American social fabric. He recommends Americans hold these values in a dynamic tension. America is at
its best when it affirms both the freedom of the individual and a commitment to the whole.
___Both values are biblical. A covenant with God can ground commitment to the whole, as can the the Apostle Paul's analogy of member-body in speaking of the church (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). Conversely, individualism seems to be rooted in beliefs concerning the new birth, forgiveness and responsible discipleship.
___Bellah, however, fails to see the apparent contradiction of these two basic values can be resolved only as one affirms and experiences the ultimate value stated in Psalm 23. In union with God, one can affirm both personal freedom and corporate responsibility as God directs.
___American farmers struggle to apply these values appropriately in their contexts. They are served by several other sets of values:
| Farmers value integrity. They hate hypocrisy and sham. They demand that a person's walk match his talk. |
___ Diligent work vs. relaxation. Long ago, King Solomon recognized context determines the appropriateness of values (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Certainly, there is a time to plant (work) and a time to play or relax. Typically, rural people do both well. There is a rhythm in the work and play of rural people, one that seems lost in the regime of industrialized, urbanized, "information age" life.
___ Conservative vs. progressive. Jesus typified the best of both these values. He came to fulfill, not destroy, the law. And in the Sermon on the Mount, he raised the law's demands to new heights (Matthew 5:1-11). Yet he also warned us not to put "new wine in old wineskins." This was to say the new covenant of grace could not be placed within the old covenant of the law (Ephesians 2:8-9).
___ Sense of place vs. a pilgrim people. Like Hebrew patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, farmers identify deeply and emotionally with possession and ownership of land (Genesis 15; 28:10-22). Rural Americans pushed the frontier westward during the 19th century, and in the 20th century they left the farm for industrial jobs in the cities. In the current farm crisis, they face yet another frontier, its nature still unclear. Today's rural folk are restless because the crisis threatens their sense of place. They hope this journey will lead in some direction other than away from the farm.
___ Patriotism vs. incisive criticism. Like David during his wandering (1 Samuel 26), rural Americans love the nation, in spite of policies that make their lives difficult. Most observers believe the family farm is endangered. The economists' god, efficiency, has been enshrined. The farmers see themselves as being like Micah, Amos and Isaiah with a message from the true God--a warning, yet largely ignored. This hurts them deeply.
___ Integrity vs. sharp dealing. When Jesus instructed the disciples to be as "wise as serpents, but gentle as doves" (Matthew 10:16), he addressed this basic set of dialectical values. Farmers value integrity. They hate hypocrisy and sham. They demand that a person's walk match his talk. Most are not fooled easily or for long by talk alone. Yet they recognize the world is full of phonies and shysters, and they like to see them put in their place. Likewise, while they are very intolerant of religious falsehoods and fads, they affirm religious liberty. Conversely, they drive hard bargains. Peace is not to be purchased "at any price," but peace with which all can live is to be sought actively.
___ Responsibility vs. spontaneity. Jesus taught his followers to be good stewards--wisely caring for and using the resources he provides (Luke 12:41-48). Many farmers do this very well. Yet Jesus also praised spontaneity--for example, when Mary anointed his feet (Luke 7:36-50). Most rural folk are wonderfully spontaneous as well in their expression and giving of love. Many display a great mixture of self-reserve and fun-loving activity. Also, they mix a strong reverence for God's general commands, which they obey faithfully, with an openness to the unique leading of God's Holy Spirit in a given context.
___These six sets of values, grounded in love for God, are among the most important basic Christian values--the values that should inform and guide every life. They come to us in dialectical or paradoxical form, because either side of any set can easily become a false god. It is only when affirmed with its opposite that one is safe from idolatry.
___These values--and their dialectical relations--inform the perspectives, perceptions and performances of rural church people. Ministers will be able to recognize when a person's commitment to one side of a set of values has become idolatrous.
___And they may recognize that some folk err not in what they value, but in that value's appropriateness given the context.
___Gary Farley is partner in the Center for Rural Church leadership in Carrollton, Ala. His column is distributed by EthicsDaily.com, an online publication of the Baptist Center for Ethics
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