On one side or on the other? Some years back Gayle and I were advised (strongly advised = all but commanded) to get guns. The one who told us was a house-hold name in the Christian world. We waited for the punch line as obviously this was a joke. No punch line came, but an explanation for the advice. Apparently as we lived in Spain we were in mortal danger of Islam entering the land and bringing our lives to an end, hence the nation (and us) needed defending and we should be prepared to do this apparently as our Christian duty. I replied with that if this was connected to the ‘success’ of the gospel and this terrible vision of the future unfolded then no guns should be found in our hands and it is we who might have to lay down our lives. Not satisfied with this response the person with considerable exasperation in their voice said that if we would not enter into the fray that if they were any way close at the time they would undertake to do the necessary killings.
OOOOOFFFFF!
Defend the faith at all counts. Yet…
Jesus said, “My kingdom does not belong to this world; if my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. No, my kingdom does not belong here!”
My followers would fight… if.
There is a desperate battle currently not for the preservation of the Christian faith but for the preservation of Christendom (and the oxymoric term ‘Christian nation); Christendom which is centred on the use of power for ‘good’. I am not a reader of Lord of the Rings but in that story there is a very poignant character ‘Boromir’ who wants to use the ring’s power but only for good.
So deceptive. Imagine if we had the ear of the key politicians; imagine what we could do if we had an endless source of finances… or imagine if Jesus could have used the efficiency and reach of the Roman Empire of his day? [And that is one of the explanations used for Jesus coming at ‘the fullness of times’ – a reason that only a pro-Christendom reading could come up with a being the core understanding of that phrase!]
And…?
It is exactly that offer that Jesus turned down. The devil showed him the kingdoms of the oikoumene and was told that those could be his to use for eternal ‘good’. (For the use of oikoumene for Roman Empire see an earlier post.) Or in Tolkien language – take the ring and use it for good.
I do believe we are facing global crises; the hegemony of the West is coming to a close… but the biggest crisis of all is with regard to our faith. The path ahead is not an easy one but the biggest crisis now is whether the ring being taken for good dictates the future of our faith. The ring has to be rejected if we are to be the truly redeeming agent in the world. Challenged but also optimistic that we stand at the entry door to an amazing future – the end of an era or the beginning of a new one. Brave (and probably marginalised) vision for the future. Poets, artists lead the way.
So agree, Martin. I am so disquieted by seeing people carrying crosses in the name of Christian nationalism and far right causes on huge marches. I cannot believe what I’m seeing and what some Christians are saying and standing in agreement with. As you say it is Christendom not the kingdom that they want. ‘Get rid of Muslims and take our country back for Christ’. Looking like him is sacrifice and total giving up of rights. It is loving our enemy and it is showing compassion for the dispossessed etc etc. I just can’t believe this happening in the UK now so sad.
You are so right. Thank you.
I am just reading this… “for the message of the cross is foolishness… For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart,’ but we preach Christ crucified.”
A friend reminded me just now (literally two minutes ago)… “EVERY TOTALITARIAN REGIME IS FRIGHTENED OF THE ARTIST.” (Walter Breuggeman)
Totally agree with this. Also reminded of Brueggemans book called ‘Finally comes the Poet’
This is precisely the problem. Politics in so many places is led by what is claimed to be a Christian theology but is really an authoritarian ideology. But go beyond that a bit. It really doesn’t matter what religion one subscribes to or theology one follows. We each have a choice about how we walk through this world. We can walk with kindness, caring, and an openness to others. Or we can walk with belligerence, a need for power and domination (at whatever scale, domestic to international), violence, and cruelty. Christian or not, we all face the same choice. Respect for others and community, or disrespect.
And I have to say, I don’t get the folks choosing the belligerence at all. Why? We know from research on primates that a dominance stance stresses the body and often leads to an earlier death. So why? What gain is there? Sure, short-term gain with dominance over others but they likely despise you and are plotting against you. So that’s what baffles me, especially when the people in the news who behave this way also claim to be Christians. What am I missing here?
Such a disconnect. Christians need to reclaim their faith. And declare that dominance and belligerence, violence (speech or action), and cruelty is not what it means to follow Christ.
I can remember reading Augustine’s debate around self-defense for Christians. Now, it seems the debate is more about how offensive a Christian nation should be. Declare everyone a terrorist and fire away. How far we have wandered. So lost.
I have literally just finished writing an article on mental health and poetry.Im reminded of( I think Greek play) where a poet is asked,Why do we need a poet? The reply,to save the city of course.
So I went down a google rabbit hole with AI and amazed at the life that artists and poet’s can bring.Ive been writing for years,but this is an eye opener
Now I have to look at Bruggerman.
Thx, Martin. Spot on and well said. You should see some of the looks I get here in a far-right political stronghold the country when I find it necessary to reveal to someone, might be a neighbor or even someone at church(!), that I don’t own any guns.
That some are are geared to “undertake to do the necessary killings” is so backward to the gospel of Christ and following Jesus. I was shocked some years ago, here, to learn that a Christian leader with a large following was publicly promoting Christians to be ready to fight a civil war in the streets of America. I was compelled to write a major essay about that. You may have seen it. If not it’s here: https://wagingwisdom.com/2020/10/16/arms-and-the-man-v-put-up-thy-sword-tough-questions-for-rick-joyner-jim-bakker-and-the-prophetic-movement/
Continue grace and strength, my brother.
Thanks for the positive and optomistic end to the post! Matt. 16.17-19 comes to mind. Given keys of the kingdom and binding and loosing. I know this has been used in many circles, especially charismatic,in triumphalist and shouty ways, but…..
Poets and artists open doors to alternative futures and possibilities. Corporate and personal choices to use what we have in our hands (power) for good or ill. Followers of Jesus loosing violence?? Leaves me baffled. People seem to want to control their security which means using power to be on the ‘winning’ side. That’s Christendom. Maybe it was your phrase ‘door to an amazing future’ that triggered the key thing! keys not guns open the future…
Of course here in the “semi-acquainted but not united States of America” we are seeing the very real prophetic voice of Jesus being ignored…”live by the sword, die by the sword” as we watched a political activist (for lack of a better category) die in living color shot by the very instrument of death he vehemently defended as someone claiming to be a follower of Christ.
The two things that strike at my core the most is the fact that this man is celebrated by local Christians as an example of fearless faith…and the other element that we are now exposed to brutal life ending videos and both of these things have become normalized…
If I stand back and look at reality I am reminded that I do not have to choose a binary solution here…in fact it seems on some level that the “powers that be” are trying to funnel group think into an “either/or” solution…being forced to the precipice of violence as the only choice…”choose violence or die”…
So very uncreative…
“They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him over the cliff. But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way.”
If Christendom is to survive it will need to go on HIS way…
Thanks for all the comments. For sure there is a pivotal moment in our history. We watch!!!
Yes it’s a complete twist on the gospel yet inevitable events leading to a turning point back to Jesus.. bring it on I say.. as true believers we do not need to bow down to the fear..