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A review by dbswanson
The Myth of the American Dream: Reflections on Affluence, Autonomy, Safety, and Power by D.L. Mayfield
5.0
Jesus "came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:16-21 [NASB]
This is the passage that D. L. Mayfield begins her book with. It speaks of flourishing for the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed, and the favorable year of the Lord (Jubilee). Throught out her book she weaves the fibers of the Biblical text and her experiences of trying to incarnate the texts in her daily life. She reflects on the difficulties stemming from being born of privilege, and the myths that come along with it. The end result is a beautifully woven narrative that reflects the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven. The fabric though flawed in parts, due to our fallen state, still displays the beauty of human relationships in community and restorative justice as we pitch our tents in proximity, and action toward shalom with those many would refer to as "other".
She writes, "The only way to learn to both identify our longing for and live into shalom is by being in relationship to those who are the most affected by broken systems and broken relationships. Exiles, or the stranger or the foreigner, are a part of the triad of the vulnerable— including widows and orphans —that the Scriptures constantly tell the people of God to care for."
She asks two important questions to those who of us professing to be Christians. "Are we okay with the way our world works? Or do we long to see a different dream start to grow?
Reading her book leaves you with the longing to "see a different dream" and "start to grow". To not be a part of constructing dividing walls, but tearing them down and be a part of reflecting the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:16-21 [NASB]
This is the passage that D. L. Mayfield begins her book with. It speaks of flourishing for the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed, and the favorable year of the Lord (Jubilee). Throught out her book she weaves the fibers of the Biblical text and her experiences of trying to incarnate the texts in her daily life. She reflects on the difficulties stemming from being born of privilege, and the myths that come along with it. The end result is a beautifully woven narrative that reflects the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven. The fabric though flawed in parts, due to our fallen state, still displays the beauty of human relationships in community and restorative justice as we pitch our tents in proximity, and action toward shalom with those many would refer to as "other".
She writes, "The only way to learn to both identify our longing for and live into shalom is by being in relationship to those who are the most affected by broken systems and broken relationships. Exiles, or the stranger or the foreigner, are a part of the triad of the vulnerable— including widows and orphans —that the Scriptures constantly tell the people of God to care for."
She asks two important questions to those who of us professing to be Christians. "Are we okay with the way our world works? Or do we long to see a different dream start to grow?
Reading her book leaves you with the longing to "see a different dream" and "start to grow". To not be a part of constructing dividing walls, but tearing them down and be a part of reflecting the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven.