I decided to write on the need for repentance when reading Jacques Ellul’s Theology and Technique. The statement that stopped me short was, “The principles, values, and morals taught to children are in contradiction to what is demanded of adults.”
My first reaction was “Yes, this is definitely true”; my second, “This is a critical matter in any society”; and my third, “This calls for a lot of rethinking.”
I immediately thought of Robert Fulghum’s book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. It reminds us that simple lessons we are taught very early in life, like “sharing, playing fair, and cleaning up your own messes,” provide the foundation for later profound insights on life, love, and human society.
When it was published in 1986, all my friends agreed it was true in their lives. I’m pretty sure they would now have some questions about this.
Powerful voices claim we should rethink what we teach our children. Improving civilization supposedly depends on teaching them how to get what they want. Sharing limits their ability to achieve this. Playing fair reduces their chances of winning. Cleaning up their own messes wastes precious time.
Ellul, on the other hand, argues we have to rethink the values of the adult world. That which sets a human civilization apart from the animal world is learning to set limits on selfishness, power, and greed. Our survival must take into consideration the needs of everyone in the community.
Ellul believes the extreme power in our modern technological society threatens our existence. Lethal weapons can destroy entire populations; unregulated production can contaminate the environment.
This calls for living by Christian values that limit our use of power. Caring for the poor must involve sharing rather than expecting more, which will eventually enable the poor to have enough. Competition must be based on playing fair because modern technology gives the strong unlimited control. Cleaning up our messes is necessary because increasing pollution will eventually poison our world.
Everywhere loud voices are calling for repentance or rethinking. Those speaking for Jesus believe caring and sharing will still save us all.
