War brings restless sleep. Jesus despises war, war is contrary to the will of God. The Reign of God is a time of peace. The Kingdom of God is a place of harmony.
Hence, I shout "No!" when the Tomahawks seek their targets, when the fighters straif the columns, and when the Hellfires incinerate another tank.
Jesus cries out, "Would that you knew the things that make for peace." "Blessed are the peacemakers, for of such is the Kingdom of God."
Yet, we are committed to another war in Libya. We didn't ask for it. We encouraged peaceful regime change. We hoped for another Egypt. Sadly, Muamar is not Mubarek. Libyan mercenaries are not the Egyptian army.
What is a Christian to do? Christians have options. Christians are not privileged to blindly go along with government decisions. We are always facing ethical dilemmas. War is a messy fog. There is no easy passing of the moral buck. Indeed, we must engage the ultimate moral choice: As a Christian, in what direction will God's grace free my faith and conscience in response to war?
How is a Christian soldier to respond? Soldiers are not off the hook. Soldiers can disobey orders if the order is contrary to their conscience. Obedience to orders is not a free license to kill. In Germany it is mandatory for soldiers to go through the Resistance Museum in Berlin and be reminded that there are moral limits to soldiering.
Soldiers and civilians can rest upon the guidelines of the "Just War" tradition. Tried and true. Augustine spelled them out in Christian terms even though the essentials were born within an earlier moral philosophy.
We can live out our pacifism: no war, no killing, no exceptions.
We can be committed to nonviolence with the "Gandhi caveat": "Where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence." Yet as Walter Wink observes: "But Gandhi believed that a third way can always be found, if one is committed to nonviolence."
We can be selective conscientious objectors saying not this war, but maybe another.
As we choose how to respond to the realities of war, I find these helpful paths: 1) The Jesus Way is that of nonviolence. We are not created to kill, but to love and seek life for all; 2) Jesus forgives and restores. Because we sin ("I do what I do not want to do, but what I do not want to do, that I do", Paul), we are reconciled to God and each other in Christ by grace through faith; 3) Bonhoeffer unveils the complexity of action, "Before other men the man of free responsibility is justified by necessity; before himself he is acquited by his conscience; but before God he hopes only for mercy." (Ethics, p. 248) To Bonhoeffer, there are times when we must risk standing guilty before God, trusting in God's mercy for our restoration.
May our sleep be restless.
Peace!
Ron
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Let justice Roll....
Amos raised sheep and tended fig trees in the eighth century B.C.E. He heard the call to prophesize, to unite tribes, to call the People of God back to God, and to speak for justice. There was great division between the rich and poor. It was the time to correct economic and social inequality. Let justice roll....
He begins: "The Lord roars from Zion.... For the three crimes of Damascus....of Gaza....of Edom...." Amos lists the crimes, the injustices. And then: "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Significantly, Amos was a common worker. It was he, a worker, who witnessed the inequality within the northern kingdom of Israel. It was he who trumpeted the cry for justice. Let justice roll....
Likewise, it is the workers in America who are sounding the call to justice. Justice in America is in decline. Economic justice is declining. Anger and hatred are ascending. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups in the USA is at an all time high with over 1,000 groups spewing racial hatred. Nine states are considering legislation to allow guns on college campuses. The Republican budget proposal seeks to defund the Institute for Peace. The newly formed Consumer Protection Agency is in danger of being defunded as are Planned Parenthood, NPR, and the enforcement arm of the EPA. The 400 richest people in the United States control 50% of the nation's wealth. The Wisconsin Legislature voted to eliminate collective bargaining and union power. Pell Grants have been cut back making college more difficult for the less wealthy. Congressional hearings on Muslim extremism are being held, dragging us back to the McCarthy Hearings of the 1950s, singling out Muslims and not addressing the broader extremist elements in America. Corporations are getting away with paying few if any taxes, and the wealthy do not pay their fair share. A bill was introduced (but did not pass) that would have banned college students from voting. Then there is the Arizona anti-immigration bill. Remember the Citizen's United Supreme Court decision opening the flood gates of unlimited corporate money into political campaigns? The Koch brothers buy elections. The debt crisis is fracturing our ability to work together and imperils our future. Between 25 and 30% of all homeowners owe more on their houses than what they are worth, and the foreclosure rate continues to rise. Yet, Wall Street and banks and oil companies rake in profits and give obscene bonuses to CEOs and upper management. Let justice roll....
The United States is becoming a fascist oligarchy at our peril. Economic and political slavery are upon us. There is darkness upon the land unless the people rise and insist upon justice. Let justice roll....
The Book of Leviticus speaks of a Jubilee Year, where every 50 years all property returns to the original owner. It was a leveling out time, a starting over on the same plane, a time for equal justice. We in America, and indeed the world, are in need of such a leveling moment. Let justice roll....
America is in a perilous time. A crossroads. The messages of Amos and Leviticus point the way home, for ALL people. It is time to speak out, to march, to write, to pray, to worship, to vote. These are Christian ways. Let justice roll....
Peace!
Ron
He begins: "The Lord roars from Zion.... For the three crimes of Damascus....of Gaza....of Edom...." Amos lists the crimes, the injustices. And then: "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Significantly, Amos was a common worker. It was he, a worker, who witnessed the inequality within the northern kingdom of Israel. It was he who trumpeted the cry for justice. Let justice roll....
Likewise, it is the workers in America who are sounding the call to justice. Justice in America is in decline. Economic justice is declining. Anger and hatred are ascending. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups in the USA is at an all time high with over 1,000 groups spewing racial hatred. Nine states are considering legislation to allow guns on college campuses. The Republican budget proposal seeks to defund the Institute for Peace. The newly formed Consumer Protection Agency is in danger of being defunded as are Planned Parenthood, NPR, and the enforcement arm of the EPA. The 400 richest people in the United States control 50% of the nation's wealth. The Wisconsin Legislature voted to eliminate collective bargaining and union power. Pell Grants have been cut back making college more difficult for the less wealthy. Congressional hearings on Muslim extremism are being held, dragging us back to the McCarthy Hearings of the 1950s, singling out Muslims and not addressing the broader extremist elements in America. Corporations are getting away with paying few if any taxes, and the wealthy do not pay their fair share. A bill was introduced (but did not pass) that would have banned college students from voting. Then there is the Arizona anti-immigration bill. Remember the Citizen's United Supreme Court decision opening the flood gates of unlimited corporate money into political campaigns? The Koch brothers buy elections. The debt crisis is fracturing our ability to work together and imperils our future. Between 25 and 30% of all homeowners owe more on their houses than what they are worth, and the foreclosure rate continues to rise. Yet, Wall Street and banks and oil companies rake in profits and give obscene bonuses to CEOs and upper management. Let justice roll....
The United States is becoming a fascist oligarchy at our peril. Economic and political slavery are upon us. There is darkness upon the land unless the people rise and insist upon justice. Let justice roll....
The Book of Leviticus speaks of a Jubilee Year, where every 50 years all property returns to the original owner. It was a leveling out time, a starting over on the same plane, a time for equal justice. We in America, and indeed the world, are in need of such a leveling moment. Let justice roll....
America is in a perilous time. A crossroads. The messages of Amos and Leviticus point the way home, for ALL people. It is time to speak out, to march, to write, to pray, to worship, to vote. These are Christian ways. Let justice roll....
Peace!
Ron
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Conversation with Michelle
In Colorado, our U.S. House Representative was a Marilyn. In Minnesota, our U.S, House Representative is a Michelle, you know, Michelle Bachmann, the Tea Party Queen, or at least the Princess. What is unique about them is that both of them are very conservative, doctrinaire, ideologically pure Republicans. I confess that I have sometimes included them in the category of "Crazies on the Right."
They are also professing Christians. Hence, I am to love the enemy. Yet, I must also realize that they are also part of the Body of Christ.
I signed on to a Michelle Bachmann tele-conference last Monday evening. I registered online, indicating I would be interested in participating. I received a call and joined the exchange. Michelle was polite, energetic, thoughtful, a good listener, knowledgeable, and nicely Christian. At the conclusion of the conference she said: "Thank you for calling. God bless America and God bless you all." She is clearly sincere. It is hard not to like her personally. I could easily pray with her and have a stimulating faith conversation. She is a member of a non-denominational church near our home.
But then there is her politics. She is known as one who plays fast and loose with facts. She lived up to her reputation! She hit the panic button when she said Social Security is on the edge and we must deal with it NOW or else! Fact: SS is able to fully pay out until 2037. She said the "Obamacare" health insurance plan will add to the nation's debt. Fact: The CBO says the new health care plan will cut about $400 million off the debt over the next ten years. She said the average teacher's salary in the Milwaukee Public Schools is $100,000. Fact: No way. The average teacher's salary in Wisconsin is $48,000. She said the Stimulus Bill was a waste of money. Fact: Most economists agree the bill kept us from going over the financial edge. Furthermore, the SB saved General Motors and Ford which are now turning a profit. She also expressed concern for the nation's debt and spoke of cuts, including cuts in Social Security and Medicare.
I was taking notes for my response, but time ran out. All of the callers ahead of me praised her, except for a veteran who asked her why she voted against extending health benefits for vets. She corrected him and said she supported the bill.
I did respond, however, to the automated response opportunity. I shared the "facts" mentioned above. I also commented on how to solve the indebtedness: 1) Cut the defense budget. We have bases in 174 countries. We cannot afford to be "cops of the world" and other nations must take more responsibility for defense; 2) Raise the contribution amount for Social Security from $106K to $180K. Furthermore, quit borrowing from SS to pay other bills; 3) Tax the upper 5% of our nation's earners at a higher rate than what they are presently paying; 4) Halt off-shore tax havens for corporation and tax off-shore oil drilling at a fair amount. Then the response time ran out.
Then there was: "God bless you."
I also have a Christian brother in a former parish who is a staunch Libertarian on the Far Right. Our exchanges have been vigorous.
The challenge I face is dealing with politically diverse Christians CHRISTIANLY. I don't think I am alone. How? My guidelines are: 1) Be prayerful. Prayer reminds me that God listens to all of us. Prayer unites us. Pray for the person in leadership. In prayer we take each others' hands across the miles and are one in the Spirit of Christ; 2) Keep conversation civil. We are to respect each other. Each person is created in the image of God; 3) Listen and learn. There are grains of truth in most everything we hear. Good ideas can come from "across the aisle"; 4) Know your facts. Opinions are important, and the most helpful opinions are fact based. At the same time, clarify facts and their sources; 5) Seek common ground, yet remember that God is on the side of justice and peace for all; 6) Remember "the least of these". I like what Paul Wellstone said: "We all do better when we all do better."; 7) "Keep on keepin' on" as Fannie Lou Hammer said. Refuse to go away. Remember the woman in the parable who kept going to the local judge insisting on justice; 8) Love. Always love. Love changes lives.
It is not always easy, but neither was dying on the cross.
God bless you!
Peace!
Ron
They are also professing Christians. Hence, I am to love the enemy. Yet, I must also realize that they are also part of the Body of Christ.
I signed on to a Michelle Bachmann tele-conference last Monday evening. I registered online, indicating I would be interested in participating. I received a call and joined the exchange. Michelle was polite, energetic, thoughtful, a good listener, knowledgeable, and nicely Christian. At the conclusion of the conference she said: "Thank you for calling. God bless America and God bless you all." She is clearly sincere. It is hard not to like her personally. I could easily pray with her and have a stimulating faith conversation. She is a member of a non-denominational church near our home.
But then there is her politics. She is known as one who plays fast and loose with facts. She lived up to her reputation! She hit the panic button when she said Social Security is on the edge and we must deal with it NOW or else! Fact: SS is able to fully pay out until 2037. She said the "Obamacare" health insurance plan will add to the nation's debt. Fact: The CBO says the new health care plan will cut about $400 million off the debt over the next ten years. She said the average teacher's salary in the Milwaukee Public Schools is $100,000. Fact: No way. The average teacher's salary in Wisconsin is $48,000. She said the Stimulus Bill was a waste of money. Fact: Most economists agree the bill kept us from going over the financial edge. Furthermore, the SB saved General Motors and Ford which are now turning a profit. She also expressed concern for the nation's debt and spoke of cuts, including cuts in Social Security and Medicare.
I was taking notes for my response, but time ran out. All of the callers ahead of me praised her, except for a veteran who asked her why she voted against extending health benefits for vets. She corrected him and said she supported the bill.
I did respond, however, to the automated response opportunity. I shared the "facts" mentioned above. I also commented on how to solve the indebtedness: 1) Cut the defense budget. We have bases in 174 countries. We cannot afford to be "cops of the world" and other nations must take more responsibility for defense; 2) Raise the contribution amount for Social Security from $106K to $180K. Furthermore, quit borrowing from SS to pay other bills; 3) Tax the upper 5% of our nation's earners at a higher rate than what they are presently paying; 4) Halt off-shore tax havens for corporation and tax off-shore oil drilling at a fair amount. Then the response time ran out.
Then there was: "God bless you."
I also have a Christian brother in a former parish who is a staunch Libertarian on the Far Right. Our exchanges have been vigorous.
The challenge I face is dealing with politically diverse Christians CHRISTIANLY. I don't think I am alone. How? My guidelines are: 1) Be prayerful. Prayer reminds me that God listens to all of us. Prayer unites us. Pray for the person in leadership. In prayer we take each others' hands across the miles and are one in the Spirit of Christ; 2) Keep conversation civil. We are to respect each other. Each person is created in the image of God; 3) Listen and learn. There are grains of truth in most everything we hear. Good ideas can come from "across the aisle"; 4) Know your facts. Opinions are important, and the most helpful opinions are fact based. At the same time, clarify facts and their sources; 5) Seek common ground, yet remember that God is on the side of justice and peace for all; 6) Remember "the least of these". I like what Paul Wellstone said: "We all do better when we all do better."; 7) "Keep on keepin' on" as Fannie Lou Hammer said. Refuse to go away. Remember the woman in the parable who kept going to the local judge insisting on justice; 8) Love. Always love. Love changes lives.
It is not always easy, but neither was dying on the cross.
God bless you!
Peace!
Ron
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