The American Myth of Self-Reliance

I have several good friends without jobs. They are trying hard to get jobs, though. They are well-educated- all have bachelor's degrees, some have master's degrees, and one is a Jurisdoctor. They are smart, they are hard workers, and they rightly place some dignity in their work. While I do not believe work gives each person his or her inherent value, I do believe it is a source of satisfaction and an exercise of calling. These people are doing everything in their power to get a job. Thankfully, none of these folks are homeless. But many in Denver, where I live, are. Some things you need to know from this linked news story:

There are 11,061 homeless people in the seven-county metro region, and about half of them say they are homeless for the first time, according to the results of a 24-hour survey conducted Jan. 27 by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative...

During this year's point-in- time survey, nearly 5,000 people, or 45
percent, said they were homeless for the first time.

The most common cause was losing a job, according to 35 percent of
the homeless. The second-most-common cause, affecting 31 percent, was being unable to afford their rent or mortgage. Sixty families blamed their homelessness on foreclosures.

These people, like my friends, are reliant upon a system of economy for jobs, security, for their housing, and yes, their very health. But we don't think like that, do we? We as Americans (generally of the suburban variety) think that production is based solely on the individual, don't we? We think that homeless people are "lazy" and "worthless." Our Puritanical roots and our Romantic transcendentalism fool us into thinking that what we get is simply and solely what we have worked for. But it isn't true.

I'm reminded of this every summer living here in Colorado. That's because there's often the spector of draught looming over the Rocky Mountain region. If we don't get enough snow, then the resevoirs aren't as full, then people don't get to water their lawns, and we are forced to ration whatever water we have. We haven't had to deal with this in a few years, but the discussion is always at hand.

And that discussion is a potent reminder that we as Americans truly aren't self-reliant. We need an interstate system to move around and to see family. We need an infrastructure to heat our homes and water our lawns. And we need an economy to produce jobs for enough Americans so that they're not homeless. To a generation of people that are taught the American work-ethic, this is a painfully true reality when one cannot find a job.

We Americans have so bought into the lie of self-reliance that these words of Jesus are almost rendered meaningless. But hear them, and believe them.

"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of
these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown in the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!" -Luke 12:27-28

Relying on God doesn't discount hard work- in our jobs or in our faith. It is a simple reminder that we aren't in control. It is the reminder that self-reliance is a myth. We all rely on something, we just need to choose to rely on the one, true Person.