Becoming Whole - A 7 Day DevotionalSample

 Western civilization and its approaches to poverty alleviation throughout the post-WWII era have been dominated by Western Naturalism. As influential as naturalism is, however, it’s not the only perspective shaping Western civilization. America consists of subcultures that, to varying degrees, draw on all three of the foundational religious perspectives. 

As a relational being, God is deeply and actively engaged with His world. Moment by moment, He holds the atoms in place, empowers the deer to dart through the forest, and directs the course of nations. And as a tender Father who’s always present, He guides every step of His beloved children. God is interested; God is involved; God intervenes. Conversely, Western Naturalism doubts that God exists and believes that even if He does exist, He is irrelevant to the everyday working of the cosmos. The cosmos is viewed as a closed machine that is solely material in essence and operates according to fixed laws of nature without any divine intervention.

Western Naturalism’s material understanding of the cosmos shapes its perspective on human beings. Western Naturalism reduces the mind-affections-will-body-relational creature to a mere physical being that has no soul and that is completely individualistic, not needing relationships in order to flourish. Because this creature is purely material, it derives its happiness from consuming material things in order to gratify its sensual nature. And because this creature is not primarily relational, it selfishly pursues its own interests without regard for the effects it might have on its relationship with God, self, others, or the rest of creation.

Because Western Naturalism creates a vacuum by denying a divine being, it necessarily elevates this material, self-interested creature: humans take the place of God. Indeed, humans are viewed as the masters of the universe, creatures who use their superior intelligence to create technological advances that master the material world. Creatures replace the Creator.

The heart of this story of change is fundamentally arrogant. Given that God does not exist and that human beings are in charge, any material prosperity is necessarily the result of human ingenuity. And those who have accumulated the most wealth must be the smartest of all, preeminent over the rest of humanity. Unfortunately, Western Naturalism’s false god is not just some abstract philosophical concept. Despite the fact that this god does not exist, this god dramatically impacts our daily lives to the extent that we embrace naturalism. 

Remember, human beings are transformed into the image of whatever god they worship. And the god of Western Naturalism is a purely material, individualistic, self-interested, consuming machine. Denying the centrality of relationships for a human and failing to treat her as an integrated body and soul causes a person to shrivel up—key aspects of her humanity are stripped from her, leaving her in a robotic state that is less than fully human.

This doesn’t seem like the path to human flourishing. In fact, it’s only a path to destruction.

What does this have to do with poverty alleviation? Because Western Naturalism has so deeply influenced Western civilization, Westerners unconsciously and automatically spread the virus of Western Naturalism to poor people. The ways that poverty alleviation strategies are designed, the things that they do, the formative practices that they foster, and the goals for which they strive can deform poor people, transforming them—at least partially— into the material, individualistic, self-interested, consuming machine described above. A person’s full humanity is compromised in this deformation. Western Naturalism is a clear instance of when helping hurts.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. “Western Naturalism is a purely material, individualistic, self-interested, consuming machine.”  How do you see this reflected in the world around you?  How does our culture communicate this machine in advertising and entertainment?
2. How has Western Naturalism influenced Christianity where you live?  How do you see materialism, individualism, self-interest, and consumption being “Christianized” by believers?
3. We “unconsciously and automatically” spread the worldview we grew up in.  What effect does Western Naturalism have on poverty alleviation strategies?  What does it communicate about human flourishing?