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'We not me' Again

Now that is interesting. I googled 'we not me' and found that there is a group called 'we not me movement' http://www.wenotme.us/. There is no indication that they are Christian, but they are onto it.

The question that revolves in my mind is, 'how can we break free from our me obsession?' The problem is, I live in my mind and see the world through my eyes, I feel the world through my senses etc. I am locked in. That movie 'Being John Malkovich' explores this idea. If only we can get inside the minds of others. The truth is, we wouldn't want to, we would experience their internal dialogue, and probably go mad!

Seems to me we need to become great listeners, we need to engage people deeply in relationships and then seek to understand their world and how they see it. I think the truth is I talk to much and listen too little, always have and probably always will.

As an economic unit who must produce to keep the system going, how does one break free for the we! And the more I worry about life, am locked into my own myopic and narcissistic concerns and desires, the less I am living the we and not the me. As Queen sing, 'I want to break free.' Ah, questions, questions, challenges.

Whatever the solution I know this, I need to learn to live in the we! I need to commit to being in the PEOPLE of God not just live out a pietistic individual vertical 'me and God' faith. I need to commit not only to being 'we' but serving in it and counting the cost. I need to cut across 'people I like' to break down barriers of age, gender, race, intellect, etc etc.

What a rant. Got to go, some me stuff to do. Most importantly at this early hour coffee.

One other thing. Facebook and other social networks create a new kind of 'we'. I have found perhaps 50 old friends from my past so far. Found another one last night. I am now staying connected to people in a new way. There are new e-we systems forming. Time will tell what that will do to our world.

Shalom

Comments

Anonymous said…
How does one change the pattern of a lifetime from me to we. Sure God can change our heart but the reality often seems to be that 'me' has to find the desire and motivation to become a 'we' in the face of what would/could be an unpleasant experience.
Christina said…
Part of our 'me' focus is that we still lack humility in our interactions with other cultures, we still think of ourselves as the developed world and others as developing. I suspect and suggest that if we have the humility to go and learn from more collectivist cultures that they would have a lot to teach us about 'we'.
Anonymous said…
Christina you make a point but I think your "we lack humility in our interactions with other cultures" is a fairly broad shotgun blast .... and being in a grumpy mood think it would be more productive to be less general.

ps but I love that you have an opinion, wish more people did
Christina said…
Thanks George, always happy to be challenged to greater clarity. It is an overly general statement, but I think there is an underlying unconscious attitude that is a general and unexamined way of thinking for many of us. This comes from the book I am reading about being able to learn from people that we don't expect to learn from, the first step in that is to admit that you don't know and become teachable. A specific example would be when was the last time we read a theology or church related book/article/blog that was not written by someone in the UK or North America. I know there are practical challenges with that, language publishing clout etc.. But it is still a challenge as to how much we are a global 'we' in the church.
Mark J. Keown said…
Hey George, you have your finger on the issue! How do we change? I see our individualism as a self-addiction and we need treatment. It must be about intentionality, that is, we set about being intentional about being 'we.' I concur with you Christina even if it is a generalisation and am guilty as charged. I like hanging with people like me and struggle with the time involved in the 'we'. So what you are saying is that the 'we' needs defining. We can feel like we are 'we' people but really its just our family and inner circle. What a challenge. Off for a couple of days. Philippians 2:4!
Anonymous said…
Christina an excellent point regarding how we tend to 'educate' ourselves from exactly the same resources which emanate from the very same environment we need to break free from to be truly a universal church.

Mark maybe the 'me' in a church will change to a 'we' when 'me' sees the person 'me' never wants to sit next to or chat to as Jesus ( a brother/sister hidden in Christ). I think that in practicality 'me' can pray for a change of attitude but 'me' must take the first step and in 'determination' to walk in Christs' footsteps seek out the undesirable (to me) and proactively put 'me' in a position where 'me' is uncomfortable, then trust that grace will flow.
Anonymous said…
One last thought (ha I wish) I think we need to separate the 'I' from the 'Me' as the 'I' places on us personal responsibility which can be directed outwards while the 'Me' just sucks everything in.

S.D.G.

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