FIELD NOTES
By Rev. Allie McDougall
WHILE EVERAGE, working class people feel the burden of increasing economic pressures and political turmoil, the North American culture of celebrity and wealth persists in levels of decadence that teeter on self-satire.
The ability to watch and hate on the antics of the world’s wealthiest people has never been more available, thanks to the interconnectedness of today’s world. The lifestyles of the ultra-rich have always possessed a quality of detachment from reality and it is nonetheless infuriating when the dynamics of fabulous indifference to the plight of working and poor people are drummed up for our entertainment and outrage once again. Is there anything substantially different between Marie Antoinette offering cake to the starving hordes of France and Katy Perry’s declaration that “we are going to put the ‘ass’ in astronaut” ahead of last month’s horrifically tone-deaf celebrity space launch?
Speaking of which, said space launch, the pet project of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and his space exploration company Blue Origin, essentially an advertisement for private space tourism, has resurfaced the 1970 Gil Scott-Heron poem “Whitey on the Moon”: “I can’t pay no doctor bill, but Whitey’s on the Moon. Ten years from now I’ll be paying still, while Whitey’s on the Moon.”
While Scott-Heron’s sentiments were rooted in the Space Race, they’re sadly still applicable. The HBO series White Lotus, an anthology which studies the salacious and often-hilarious social dynamics of wealthy guests at luxurious resorts in exotic destinations offers both a voyeuristic look into a world inaccessible to most and an outlet for mocking the sane. A-lister events like awards shows, charity balls, and the Met Gala are no longer relegated to magazine spreads but dominate large chunks of the social media algorithm for viewers to pore over the eye-watering displays of wealth, red carpet antics, and perplexing fashion choices.
I would like to say that none of this truly matters, that the ultra-rich are irrelevant, and that their estrangement from the reality of the common person ought to be meaningless, but this is simply not true. We are all guilty of consuming and contributing to the hubristic lifestyles of the elite, whether we follow these figures with interest or enjoy criticizing and mocking them. Outrage is the fuel that keeps our social media engines firing and drums up engagement across platforms. As out of touch as they may be, these are the people who influence and shape taste and culture, and for those who are watching with a less critical eye, the ones to emulate. Meaningful and much-needed change in patterns of resource management and consumption will be difficult to achieve while the richest and most influential remain invested in flaunting wealth and innovating at any price.
The least popular and palatable dimensions of the Christian faith are undoubtedly Christ’s teachings on wealth. The Gospels routinely condemn the rich, demand their repentance and submission of their resources to God’s purposes, and remind them of their responsibilities to those who lack material security.
As easy as it is for any person to get sucked into the trap of leering at the excessive wealth idolized by Western culture for entertainment or for an outlet for their own class tension, it is incumbent on Christians to retain clarity on what Christ instructs. Wealth is heavily scrutinized by Jesus as a barrier to the Kingdom and a stumbling block for those who wish to serve God. While I don’t see the top 1% clamoring to convert to Christianity and sell all their possessions for the good of the poor and marginalized, I do believe that the Church can retain a prophetic voice as alternative to despairing or delighting in the activities of the elite.
While the world watches with passivity or horror or curiosity as the richest among us burn money and resources for their own gratification, the Church is in the unique position to proclaim with boldness the ancient hymn, first sung by the Mother of Our Lord:
“My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his handmaiden:
For behold, from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed
For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel:
As he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.”
This is the world Jesus has come to build, the Kingdom that will surpass the glittering trinkets and monuments to Mammon, the place where all we be brought into equal standing before their God.
Rev. Allie McDougall is the Vicar of St. Paul's and St. Stephen's, Stratford.