Amicus Associates http://www.amicusassociates.org Connecting the disconnect Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:37:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Connecting the disconnect no Connecting the Disconnect – In Context http://www.amicusassociates.org/2009/03/15/connecting-the-disconnect-in-context/ http://www.amicusassociates.org/2009/03/15/connecting-the-disconnect-in-context/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:11:50 +0000 jaygail http://www.amicusassociates.org/?p=274

by Jay Caress

Amicus Associates has ‘branded’ itself with the slogan Connecting the Disconnect.

When we began to think about this venture, that phrase had a very specific meaning—connections to be made between people who might not otherwise be connected—and that still applies to our purpose, though our purpose has become broader and deeper as we have pursued our vision.

The Big Disconnect

We live in a disconnected world, no doubt. Alexsandr Solhenitsyn called it A World Split Apart in his famous 1978 Harvard address (Listen to address below).

The primary disconnect we inherit is that between the human race and our Creator: the objective fact of Sin and humanity’s disconnect–indeed the whole Creation’s disconnect–from God. St. Paul writes in the letter to the Romans that ‘the entire creation groans’ in its separation from the Creator, but he also asserts that God ‘subjected it in hope’ to this period of separation, this present darkness, which has been aptly called a vale of tears. Yet God is hopeful of redeeming us and has made hope itself a touchstone, a virtue we may grasp onto to connect with his invisible Kingdom.

As Christians each of us has been personally reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, the sin-disconnect has been reconnected through the powerful ministry of the Cross, the Resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s gracious presence in our lives. But all is not healed; all is not reconnected yet. We walk with Him here on earth, yet still we struggle with our own fallen humanity even as we seek to be perfected in Christ.

And the world? Obviously it’s still not connected. Just look around. It’s important to remind ourselves that the entire world system, though it may be tempered with grace because of the presence of God’s influence still felt through His Spirit, His laws, His Church and His people, is not only disconnected from God but disconnected from the knowledge of God.

Therefore the moment we Christians venture out into this world system—in politics or business or any social interaction—we must become either missionaries or pawns. We cannot serve two masters.

The Elite Disconnect

The world system operates differently than the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ Gospel has been characterized as a Whosoever will, may come message.

Those familiar with the ways of this world may attest that as a kingdom, it doesn’t work quite that way. The gospel of this world is more like this:

Whosoever will, may come (if you network, flatter, scheme, maneuver, network some more, flatter some more, maneuver some more and yes, and maybe work hard, too!) Until…

At the end of all this, whether performed in business, politics, education or even church-related bureaucracies and movements, one hopes to find oneself among the Elite. C. S. Lewis’ wonderfully recognizable Mark Studdock (recognizable because he’s like all of us) in That Hideous Strength finds himself unintentionally woven into a deathly web of evil because his driving goal has been to attain the ‘inner circle’ of his University’s faculty.

In the world system, Elites are in control. Some Elites are more visible than others, and some of the least visible may be the most dangerous. But control, power, prestige and eventually intimidation is what they’re all about. George Orwell knew this. Solzhenitsyn knew it from bitter experience. Even the framers of our Constitution had a glimmer of it as they designed a government system of three branches, so that one branch’s power could check the other. But they couldn’t foresee what Elitism would one day do to Washington.

The same is true in Hollywood. Hollywood is ruled by an Elite, but not so much a corporate elite—though elements of the Studio System remain—as an intellectual elite which finds expression and power through the media it controls.

Now whether or not strictly speaking Sean Penn or Jeannine Garafolo or any number of these folks are actually intellectuals by any objective standard isn’t the point. The term Intellectual Elite here means an elite of the mind, whose membership privileges and influence stem from adherence to shared values, values which are greatly disconnected from those held by many in the fly-over states.

So why aren’t there more outspoken, concerned good people making themselves heard in Hollywood? One, they aren’t given a chance, two, some genuinely pick their battles and do more than we know out of range of the camera, three, because their careers might be at risk. All of them need support and encouragement from us outside the walls.

Connecting the Disconnect Redux

We still believe that it’s possible to breach the wall, or–in the more modern vernacular–hack into the system.

But it will take the connecting of another kind of network. A counter-Elite network, if you will. A Company of the Committed who will work together to nourish and solidify our relationships with our Creator, through Jesus Christ, His gospel, and His Church and then as courageous Christian artists, as financiers, and as prayer-warriors make a valiant attempt to keep Truth alive in an age which doubts that it ever lived.

Won’t you join us?

———
Listen to the 1978 Alexsandr Solhenitsyn A World Split Apart Harvard address:

]]> http://www.amicusassociates.org/2009/03/15/connecting-the-disconnect-in-context/feed/ 0 by Jay Caress Amicus Associates has ‘branded’ itself with the slogan Connecting the Disconnect. When we began to think about this venture, that phrase had a very specific meaning—connections to be made between people who might not otherwise be connected—and that still applies to our purpose, though our purpose has become broader and deeper as we have pursued our vision. The Big Disconnect We live in a disconnected world, no doubt. Alexsandr Solhenitsyn called it A World Split Apart in his famous 1978 Harvard address (Listen to address below). The primary disconnect we inherit is that between the human race and our Creator: the objective fact of Sin and humanity’s disconnect–indeed the whole Creation’s disconnect–from God. St. Paul writes in the letter to the Romans that ‘the entire creation groans’ in its separation from the Creator, but he also asserts that God ‘subjected it in hope’ to this period of separation, this present darkness, which has been aptly called a vale of tears. Yet God is hopeful of redeeming us and has made hope itself a touchstone, a virtue we may grasp onto to connect with his invisible Kingdom. As Christians each of us has been personally reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, the sin-disconnect has been reconnected through the powerful ministry of the Cross, the Resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s gracious presence in our lives. But all is not healed; all is not reconnected yet. We walk with Him here on earth, yet still we struggle with our own fallen humanity even as we seek to be perfected in Christ. And the world? Obviously it’s still not connected. Just look around. It’s important to remind ourselves that the entire world system, though it may be tempered with grace because of the presence of God’s influence still felt through His Spirit, His laws, His Church and His people, is not only disconnected from God but disconnected from the knowledge of God. Therefore the moment we Christians venture out into this world system—in politics or business or any social interaction—we must become either missionaries or pawns. We cannot serve two masters. The Elite Disconnect The world system operates differently than the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ Gospel has been characterized as a Whosoever will, may come message. Those familiar with the ways of this world may attest that as a kingdom, it doesn’t work quite that way. The gospel of this world is more like this: Whosoever will, may come (if you network, flatter, scheme, maneuver, network some more, flatter some more, maneuver some more and yes, and maybe work hard, too!) Until… At the end of all this, whether performed in business, politics, education or even church-related bureaucracies and movements, one hopes to find oneself among the Elite. C. S. Lewis’ wonderfully recognizable Mark Studdock (recognizable because he’s like all of us) in That Hideous Strength finds himself unintentionally woven into a deathly web of evil because his driving goal has been to attain the ‘inner circle’ of his University’s faculty. In the world system, Elites are in control. Some Elites are more visible than others, and some of the least visible may be the most dangerous. But control, power, prestige and eventually intimidation is what they’re all about. George Orwell knew this. Solzhenitsyn knew it from bitter experience. Even the framers of our Constitution had a glimmer of it as they designed a government system of three branches, so that one branch’s power could check the other. But they couldn’t foresee what Elitism would one day do to Washington. The same is true in Hollywood. Hollywood is ruled by an Elite, but not so much a corporate elite—though elements of the Studio System remain—as an intellectual elite which finds expression and power through the media it controls. Now whether or not strictly speaking Sean Penn or Jeannine Garafolo or any number of these folks are actually intellectuals by any objective [...] by Jay Caress Amicus Associates has ‘branded’ itself with the slogan Connecting the Disconnect. When we began to think about this venture, that phrase had a very specific meaning—connections to be made between people who might not otherwise [...]