Mustard Seed Vs. McWorld: Reinventing Life and Faith for the Future

Tom Sine belongs to a rare breed of thinkers who dares to take seriously Jesus' teaching of the kingdom of God. He applies his futurist's foresight to what the world can be like if enough Christians start taking the Lord's call to be the salt of the earth and mustard seeds of faith. Too often, we have given ourselves the excuse that we can remain where we are in our secular vocation and continue to do the Lord's work just as faithfully. Without debunking this approach absolutely (as it certainly works for some), Sine gives us the pause by pointing out that in practice that has easily become for many Christians a safe cover for building our own empires while leaving a mere pittance of time, energy, money and other resources for the Kingdom of God. Sunday is a day where we give a polite nod to the revolutinary message of Jesus but the rest of the workaday week is business as usual! The Bible has some strong words for such a subterfuge! Yet, this book is not simply a book of diagnosis or indictment but a concrete proposal for implementing a 'mustard seed' program(s) that takes seriously the issues of poverty, social injustice, fragmentation of society, environmental pollution and other contemporary ills that come with McWorld - the world of globalization - and poses a challenge to Christians who will take up the call courageously to revamp their whole way of life in the light of Jesus' call of discipleship. It is one of those rare Christian resources that do not delve merely in abstractions and generalities but is committed to working out the brass tags of what it means to be Christ's followers in the 21st century. This is a brilliant exercise in what Walter Brueggemann calls 'hopeful imagination' that will call into question the status quo, bundled with lots of helpful data and practical strategies that will usher in the new. One has to ready himself for the challenge as he opens this book.

Sine is not your typical conservative Christian author. If you're looking for a book by one of Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell's buddies, then you're in the wrong aisle; try checking over in the area with all the "WWJD" bracelets and T-shirts. Sine's book would surely ruffle the feathers of the average church-going, capitalist-loving, suburban Christian. After all, this guy (Sine) has the audacity to claim that we, as Christians, are actually supposed to place the teachings of Jesus on a higher level than the priorities of an American culture based on consumerism. Sheesh!!! Who does he think he is? Sine's emphasis is on re-organizing our lives to get away from the perceived need to mold them in a way that feeds off of materialism, and to focus our efforts instead on the work of God's kingdom. Rather than having our priorities be 1) material things, 2) family, and 3) God, Sine rightly states they should be 1) God, 2) family, 3) material necessities. If you're disappointed with working 50-60 hours per week striving for that next promotion while trying to find time to race the kids to their activities, feed the dog, mow the lawn, and do the dishes, (Oh! and I'll find time for God next week) all to end up with high blood pressure, a divorce, and bankruptcy court, then you definitely should read this book. It will either scare you or inspire you to start over! Or both...

Sine takes awhile to get to his point, having to lay some groundwork in the earlier chapters. However, once he does you will never look at the world around you the same. He challenges all the existing paradigms of the church, and what we're about as Christians. This is a must read for anyone in church leadership...

Many Christian writers give solid advice for dealing with family and friends, but downplay our interactions with the "secular" world, as if we're better off avoiding it as much as possible. Others get hung up on social action for the sake of their favorite -ism, often seeming to forget about God in the process. This worthwhile book avoids both these pitfalls. Tom Sine shows that we can live our faith in the world by starting small faith-based projects -- "planting mustard seeds" -- in areas like evangelization, charitable works, ecology, and the arts. He provides many examples and case studies, and talks about why it's important for Christians to want to make a difference. If you're interested in practical ways to share Christian values in society, this book is both thought-provoking and action-provoking.

Tom Sine looks firstly at the phenomenon of globalisation andthe growth of certain corporations who are now bigger than theeconomies of some countries. In his analysis of this 'race to the top' he presents a vivid picture of the alarming power of these 'super companies.' In this context he introduces the opportunities and dangers of technology and especially e-commerce which is dramatically accelerating globalisation.He then moves on to the dangers and challenges of this new McWorld. He looks at the pressures on young people and their accumulation of debt as they join in the race. He then highlights the plight of the world's poor who increasingly left behind. He uses the example of Ugandan villagers who can no longer afford locally produced fish as the producers have found a higher price from Western purchasers. The local population are left to queue for the scraps.Sine's aim is to challenge Christian leaders to present an alternative to McWorld, based on a concern for the poor and for our environment. He achieves this in a way that is informative and readable. He presents material which is often perceived as dry in a lively and challenging way. I have no hesitation in recommending this book.