New Monastic Shane Claiborne Questions The American Dream (and Christopher Beiler adds his two sense).

I think one of our greatest adversaries in the American church is the American dream.  The kingdom of God is what we are fighting for, not America.  I am thankful for America, but God has given the freedoms we have as a tool to advance his kingdom, not a blessing to hoard for ourselves.

Some of our struggle with living the American dream comes from the concept that America is a Christian nation.  So many people seem to think that America is God's nation of Israel in today's world.  These people think that Americans are God's special chosen ones.....  The church in America has no rights to freedoms in America beyond using them to build God's kingdom.

To those struggling with Christian patriotism let me ask how you justify the American Revolution based on Christ's teaching in the New Testament.  How can you "submit yourselves to every authority," and rebel against the king.  So often we have taken for granted that American Revolution was performed by great men of God, but I feel this is mistaken.  The church's call is to build the kingdom of God by serving the people around us and meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the people God calls us to walk alongside each day.  We are not called to build a physical nation but a spiritual one.

As Shane says, "The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away."