Christian Counterculture

Via TulipGirl, today I read an excellent piece in Swarthmore College's alumni publication on Read Schuchardt, founder of the excellent Metaphilm.

The Schuchardts are outstanding examples of how Christian faith, consistently lived, can become countercultural. I've only met Read once, in NYC (he's a friend of friends), but have been impressed not only with his media-eschewing lifestyle (grounded in biblical philosophy as well as the ideas of Neil Postman, under whom he studied), but with the family's gung-ho willingness to trade near-poverty for a rich family life. The eight of them (that's right, eight), until recently, lived in a tiny apartment in Jersey City. (I had heard it was only two rooms but I'm not sure if that's accurate, or if I'm remembering correctly.)

I met a lot of missionary kids and home-schooled kids in college who also challenged my middle-class cultural assumptions. I could certainly use more of those challenges right now.

Meanwhile the Moppet watches Beauty and the Beast for the umpteenth time and we're planning a trip to the Land of the Mouse. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak...