An SUV Through The Eye Of A Needle

Tonight, I sat and read an essay written by Bill McKibben in the latest issue (August, 2005) of Harper's Magazine. The essay made a very good point; 85% of Americans consider themselves to be Christian, but too often the actions of this country fall short of what Christ expected. Notice, I said what Christ expected, not necessarily what our church expects, because, too often, the two are not the same. We tend to lose Christ in our religion.
The main points that he brought home were tough, but incredibly honest. They were pause for wonder, and the more I thought on them, the more I realized he was right. Look around at what we Americans have wrought. The average home in America is now over 2100 square feet, yet the average American family has a total of four members; I grew up in a house with barely 1100 square feet, and we had seven living there, on average. Our country has 5% of the world's population, yet we use 25% of the world's fossil fuels. Fuel efficient automobiles were at their peak in the mid 1980's; now, we have the suburban phenomenon of the SUV, plus a return to inefficient, big engined, high powered cars. Americans also have a hubris unmatched in recent history; we shape the destiny of our world, not just our country. Is what's best for America really what's best for Eritrea?
Contrast this with what Jesus Christ said in the Gospels. He wanted us to be humble (The Sermon on the Mound, Matthew 5:1-10), tolerant (Matthew 5:38-42, 7:1-5, Luke 6:37); he beseeched us to forsake the riches of this world (Matthew 6:19-21, 24, Mark 10:17-22) and to respect one another (Matthew 7:12). These are just a few examples; there are many, many more in the Gospels themselves.
So, we have to ask ourselves; if we call ourselves Christians yet live as ancient Romans, what does that make us? Christ knew the word; hypocrites.
You're wondering what I mean by the subject of this essay. It is a play on the passage Mark 10:25; "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." We don't see many camels these days, save for trips to the zoo, so I chose the closest equivalent. Of course, we rarely use our SUV's as beasts of burden, unless we count that burden as ourselves and a cup of hot cappucino for our morning commute to the office.
I recommend to anyone and everyone to try and read the essay, but more important, read the Gospels. Jesus Christ was the New Covenant, what he said carries great weight and are words to live by, not just recommendations. These lessons he gave us for our salvation; not just spiritual but physical. America needs to step back and reevaluate what it truly means to be Christian.