For my readers who are Christian, and especially those involved in development work and mission, I implore you to read this post.
Last Wednesday I heard one of, if not smartest lectures, I have ever heard. The presenter was Vinoth Ramachandra and his lecture mainly came out of his book, Subverting Global Myths: Theology and the Public Issues Shaping Our World.
His analysis of global consumer culture was unbelievably penetrating. In essence, the rapid spread of consumerism changes how American Christians interact with the rest of the world.
One example he gave was that in emerging generations both the American child who constructs all meaning via brands and the majority world child who makes those products for pennies are victims of the consumer machine. Vinoth has inverted traditional thinking to suggest that not only are the produces victims but also the consumers. So, when one Fuller missions student asked Vinoth the role of white middle class men (like himself) in global missions, Vinoth responded simply saying, “there are a lot of white middle class men who need Jesus.”
Like very few others, Vinoth understands that those in developed countries are some of the spiritually sickest people in the world. This revelation calls for a reshaping of all mission and development work.
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