American Dream or American Fall

Maybe now that I work directly for the government even as an intern, I become more sensitive to the news from the government, especially those that somewhat related to me. Many of you should have known or heard about the recently government debts and budget cuts, or at least the continuity of the economy recession/depression. I read an article about some of the stories from people who have been unemployed for at least 6 months or as much as over 2 years, which somewhat led me in writing this post.

Even coming from an immigrant family, I know that America was once the dream of everyone who wants to have a stable, flourishing, and successful life. I mean, that was the reason that my family moved here in the first place. Living in America would give you infinite opportunities to do whatever you want to, to be able to succeed in life. The problem is, from the very beginning, the American Dream was bound to be the American Fall (in many aspects) today, yet everyone is still pursuing this so-called dream. This once founded on Christian-beliefs nation did not build itself with the correct foundation, and the applauding and praising of the ideals of “freedom” and individualism had become the termites eating up the already loose foundation.

Reading those stories about unemployed people, you would realize they have some common problems: lost their jobs at the most inconvenient time because they are too old, not technologically savvy enough, or too expensive to be hired; unable to compete in the market with other people to find a job; even with part-time jobs, they are unable to making a living like they used to; ultimately, they are hopeless to look into the future lies ahead of them. The hopelessness comes from the fact that their hope was based on the things in this world. It is BECAUSE of what they have seen America has been and what they have enjoyed in the past that they are unsatisfied and struggling in the current situation. It is BECAUSE they believe that acquiring possessions, both physical and non-physical wealth, in this world determine how successful they are in life. It is BECAUSE that having a job and earning money and enjoying life however they want defines their lives and when they lose them, they become worthless. It is BECAUSE they lost what they have acquired in the past, or failed to acquire what they have dreamed to acquire, that the relationships with other people become broken (unable to go out with spouse/date to have dinner, hang out with friends, buy the toys that the kids have longed for, because they don’t have enough money). It is BECAUSE all of these are failing them led them to hopelessness.

It’s wrong for me to use “they”. It should be “we” because I, too, have the American Dream in me. As a graduating senior, it is hard not to think about what I am going to do after graduation, in the midst of instability across the nation. The question of whether I’m going to get a job that I like is out of the window but rather would I be able to even get one. The idea of working and being able to earn money and ease up financial burdens of my parents seem to be vanishing slowly. And I’m not saying that we should be happy that people are unable to provide for their family, losing a place to live, having no food for the family, or finding faults in the causes of the problems, blaming the government for not providing effective solutions, but rather reflect on the foundation of which our hope lays on and our motivation for life, and especially the question of what really matters in life to us. Our answer should be found from the Word rather than the world. These are some that spoke to me personally:

• But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him... (Philippians 3:7-9)

Christ should be the center of our lives, and hence by acknowledging Him as our Lord, He is more precious and important and anything else.

• ...all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. (Hebrew 11:13)
• Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles... (1Peter 2:11)
• But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ... (Philippians 3:20)

as Christians, we don't belong to this world. in fact, we are exiles and one day we will return to our true home--heaven, with God.

• Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. (1Timothy 6:6-7)
• Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life,what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)

being content with what God has provided for us, knowing that He knows our needs better than we do, realizing that God is in control rather than us.

• Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also . (Matthew 6:19-21)
• I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)

constantly keeping our mind and heart in check, test where are we laying treasures, whether we are conforming to this world or relying on God's promises and rejoicing for the fact that He is sovereign over our lives, even in the midst of hardships and difficulties.


ought to be in the world but not of the world.