The Independence Myth
From the time we start to become self-reliant and conscious of the world around us, becoming independent seems to be the primary goal of our lives. We want to be able to say that we have "our own" stuff that we obtained from "our own" hard work in order to achieve a sense of accomplishment. This is indeed a noble goal, but I think one of the differences between western cultures and the rest of the world is that we place such a high premium on what we call "independence" that we fail to realize the degree to which we are all inter-dependent and need each other. I remember in the 90s when Hillary Clinton faced a lot of criticism for quoting the Nigerian Igbo proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child!", which was also the title of her book published in 1996. She was deemed a socialist who was on the precipice handing our kids over to the government. Even though I am not the biggest Hillary Clinton fan, I don't think that was what she was referring to. I believe she was trying to emphasize the fact that each one of us has a role in helping others develop amongst us. The notion that each one of us is totally (or should be) totally independent as an adult is a myth that fuels the doctrine of self-righteousness. Say for instance you are a college graduate who has earned a reputable degree and now are a working professional and doing well in your field, how did you get there? There were teachers and / or tutors who helped you from elementary school up through secondary school and college. There were persons who gave you your first big break in an internship or that entry level job where you learned the nuances and the practical issues of your profession. As a professional, I am sure there are countless people whom you rely on every day just to make sure that your work gets done the right way. Even if you are a "financially independent" mogul, you did not get there on your own. The notion of the "self-made" millionaire or billionaire is truly a myth. Yes, hard work and dedication goes a long way, but does not operate in a vacuum without many other factors being in play (for more.. on this subject, you can read Malcolm Gladwell's most recent New York Times bestseller "Outliers - the story of success")
When I look at the way we idolize independence and then look at the words of Jesus where he says "I am the vine you are the branches, apart from me you can do nothing", I tend to see a vast discrepancy. When I compare the way we view the "kingdom of God" today and the way the early church operated as described in Acts chapter 2 in the Bible, I see a huge difference..We tend to adore "self-reliance" but self-reliance is a myth that we perpetuate and one that God seems to abhor (".....but they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god" Habakkuk 1:11).
As long as I can give others the impression that I "made it" on my own without any help, I can absolve myself of any responsibility to help the least of these in our society and give myself the permission to look down on the downtrodden and those that struggle. I have always thought that this is one of the main reasons why many of us - yes, even professed Christians - struggle with the message of God's grace, because it seems to condone helping those or showing compassion to those who do not deserve it. But if we were to honestly take the Bible's definition of sin seriously, who amongst us is deserving, based on pure merit, of God's vast love and compassion? We are gifted to be a blessing to others, not to flaunt our gifts as false beacons of self-reliance or independence.
We say that we desire independence, but we all crave relationships, why else would there be an explosion of social networking sites like Twitter, Tagged, Facebook, Myspace and the like. We have an inherent need to connect and bond with others. No one wants to be alone, not matter how "successful' they are. Just ask the successful professional who has to go home to a beautiful albeit empty home every night craving the attention and embrace of another human being (bringing to mind the classic Luther Vandross song, "A house is not a home").
Independence is a myth, one that we should not perpetuate in these dire economic times. Should we all be held responsible for our own actions? Of course, but this does not mean that we are completely self-reliant without the need of others. To be such a person would make us callous human beings!!
Stephen Oladotun Akinduro
From the time we start to become self-reliant and conscious of the world around us, becoming independent seems to be the primary goal of our lives. We want to be able to say that we have "our own" stuff that we obtained from "our own" hard work in order to achieve a sense of accomplishment. This is indeed a noble goal, but I think one of the differences between western cultures and the rest of the world is that we place such a high premium on what we call "independence" that we fail to realize the degree to which we are all inter-dependent and need each other. I remember in the 90s when Hillary Clinton faced a lot of criticism for quoting the Nigerian Igbo proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child!", which was also the title of her book published in 1996. She was deemed a socialist who was on the precipice handing our kids over to the government. Even though I am not the biggest Hillary Clinton fan, I don't think that was what she was referring to. I believe she was trying to emphasize the fact that each one of us has a role in helping others develop amongst us. The notion that each one of us is totally (or should be) totally independent as an adult is a myth that fuels the doctrine of self-righteousness. Say for instance you are a college graduate who has earned a reputable degree and now are a working professional and doing well in your field, how did you get there? There were teachers and / or tutors who helped you from elementary school up through secondary school and college. There were persons who gave you your first big break in an internship or that entry level job where you learned the nuances and the practical issues of your profession. As a professional, I am sure there are countless people whom you rely on every day just to make sure that your work gets done the right way. Even if you are a "financially independent" mogul, you did not get there on your own. The notion of the "self-made" millionaire or billionaire is truly a myth. Yes, hard work and dedication goes a long way, but does not operate in a vacuum without many other factors being in play (for more.. on this subject, you can read Malcolm Gladwell's most recent New York Times bestseller "Outliers - the story of success")
When I look at the way we idolize independence and then look at the words of Jesus where he says "I am the vine you are the branches, apart from me you can do nothing", I tend to see a vast discrepancy. When I compare the way we view the "kingdom of God" today and the way the early church operated as described in Acts chapter 2 in the Bible, I see a huge difference..We tend to adore "self-reliance" but self-reliance is a myth that we perpetuate and one that God seems to abhor (".....but they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god" Habakkuk 1:11).
As long as I can give others the impression that I "made it" on my own without any help, I can absolve myself of any responsibility to help the least of these in our society and give myself the permission to look down on the downtrodden and those that struggle. I have always thought that this is one of the main reasons why many of us - yes, even professed Christians - struggle with the message of God's grace, because it seems to condone helping those or showing compassion to those who do not deserve it. But if we were to honestly take the Bible's definition of sin seriously, who amongst us is deserving, based on pure merit, of God's vast love and compassion? We are gifted to be a blessing to others, not to flaunt our gifts as false beacons of self-reliance or independence.
We say that we desire independence, but we all crave relationships, why else would there be an explosion of social networking sites like Twitter, Tagged, Facebook, Myspace and the like. We have an inherent need to connect and bond with others. No one wants to be alone, not matter how "successful' they are. Just ask the successful professional who has to go home to a beautiful albeit empty home every night craving the attention and embrace of another human being (bringing to mind the classic Luther Vandross song, "A house is not a home").
Independence is a myth, one that we should not perpetuate in these dire economic times. Should we all be held responsible for our own actions? Of course, but this does not mean that we are completely self-reliant without the need of others. To be such a person would make us callous human beings!!
Stephen Oladotun Akinduro
posted by Stephen O. | 11:52 AM
2 Comments:
Excellent post! I don't know how people do it all on their own. It makes for a very lonely existence. I think if God had made us to be self-sufficient He would have stopped with Adam. :)
stephen, Pharisee- the basic root meaning "to separate". The class you speak of tend to separate themselves. Set themselves up as a standard by which others are judged to never measure up.Sanctified-to be separated BY GOD. This class tends to Uphold Christ as the standard by which all are judged, and all fall short and if not for Grace all would perish.Those judged most wicked found themselves welcome and accepted in the company of Jesus-holiness did not repel them. Self -righteousness did.I like your observation. Art
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home