I have a lot to talk about--but this will be a short current-events-sort of post. I had a good conversation slash interview with Oregon PeaceWorks director Peter Bergel which invigorated me and inspired me. I also went to a talk here at Willamette U. given by a man named Jeff Ferrell who is a sociology/criminology professor, who is also an anarchist. He gave a very interesting and informative talk on dumpster diving, a subject I will devote a whole future post too.
--a couple days later
I'm sitting here in the dark sharing a drink with myself and my thoughts, and I suppose you as well.
I screwed up a little bit this past week. I spoke when I should have listened. A small group of us friends have been going through a book titled UnChristian, a book that explores why the new generation of Americans are rejecting traditional, institutional Christianity. Chapter 8 (I believe) is on Politics. One of the reason why people are rejecting the Church and Christianity, the book says, is because Christians are too political. I thought the chapter for the most part, got it right...but it still was stuck/and came from a conservative ideology/bent. When we came together to talk, I came down from my lofty pedestal of being a politics major and unhinged my jaw to let loose a whole sleuth of personal beliefs, conclusions and convictions. I've been informed since that I came off a little arrogant and prideful, this is completely against how I wanted to come across and frustrated me and made me very disappointed in myself. I ended up having a long talk with my best friend Sam and we went back and forth awhile and it was good for me, I have great trouble with disagreeing and having conversing with humility. When I look back now, I realize I should have admitted and confessed my fallible nature and complete lack of all the answers and followed it up with a small bit from Jesus Radicals.com, then I should have closed my lips and listened and engaged in whatever direction the dialogue took.
When Christians engage with the political arrangements of the world, be it communism, socialism, capitalist republics, they have often claimed that their political option is the Christian one, and demonized other arrangements. This is the nature of politics, to divide and conquer. Beyond this, when Christians engage in politics they often sell out the Gospels, particularly on the issue of violence. They claim that Jesus did not mean for politicians to love their enemies, only the average person, and even the average person does not have to do so under some circumstances. We believe this approach to politics gives too much to the nation-state and is not distinctively Christian. Following Jesus is not a vocation or something one does in one’s spare time. It is a total life commitment. If we are to engage in politics, we must do so as Christians, but without baptizing the political order or trying to make it Christian.This is where anarchism may come in for Christians. Without claiming that anarchism is Christian or that one has to be an anarchist to be Christian, we claim that if Christians are to engage with the world, the best available option is anarchism because it opens up space for Christians to engage without selling out their primary allegiances and core commitments, especially to peacemaking and nonviolence. Yet violence is not the only issue at stake in politics. All governments operate on a model of ruling over people. But the Gospels claim that Christians should model Jesus’ suffering servanthood. These are fundamentally incompatible outlooks. Anarchism, at its best, is a commitment to systematically critiquing all structures that place one person or group in a position to dominate others or creation. So anarchism, as a political philosophy holds some promise for Christians because the two share a commitment to critiquing the power structures and working towards a more level playing field.
I really feel like I should almost add that as a preface to my original post regarding the Church, the State and Anarchism.
I frequently get overwhelmed by the sins of the state, and the sins of the society.
What Sins of the state?
Well you could probably take a meander over any post and find things that I've outlined, described and cited in past blog posts. But a newer example may NY city's taxation of those who take refuge in homeless shelters. Yes, the homeless will be taxed.
Another might be the accidental murder of some Afghan students who ranged from 12 to 18 years of age at the hands of U.S. special forces...who were tied and bound and then shot point blank, only for the soldiers to realize that they had blundered in their mission and that the school sleeping quarters were not a militant hideout and weapons cache. Link here.
The modern political states of our world are fundamentally founded upon and maintained through violence, coercion and false authority. The very antithesis of Jesus who embodied love, grace and (the ultimate) true authority.
The Sin of our World?
A new report has revealed the slave like conditions of Chinese youth working in a Microsoft factory in China. Link here. With a shrinking, globalizing world...everything is connected. Sin is constantly overlooked and underestimated in its profound ability to disturb and destroy. We may not think it is sinful to buy a Microsoft product...but in reality, a fraction of our money translates into the exploitation of teenagers who work in hellish conditions. In ignorance essentially fall prey to continuing the cycle of violence and sin (and I am under no illusion that Apple is any better, they too have been accused and found participatory in using sweat shops for iPods). This small story is but the tiniest fraction of a microcosm of the sin our world.
As a follower of Christ, I wish to renounce and refrain from supporting anything which is evil; anything which might inflict pain and suffering—whether it be emotional, physical or spiritual—upon my brothers and sisters. Instead, I wish to follow in the footsteps of Christ in loving and blessing my neighbors equally and unequivocally, regardless of their position and disposition.
There is a quote on my facebook, by Albert Einstein who said (actually I'd recommend taking a brief look, 2-3 minutes top, at this page regarding the interactions between Einstein and Gandhi)
I believe that Gandhi's views were the most enlightened of all the political men in our time.
We should strive to do things in his spirit: not to use violence in fighting for our cause, but by non-participation in anything you believe is evil.
Non-incidentally, and not as widely known, yet which I like to constantly tell people...is that Gandhi was strongly influenced by the words of Jesus, and his teachings articulated by both Tolstoy and Anabaptists (just as much, if not more —it's disputed—as he was by hinduism).
But I really like Einstein's phrasing of "non-participation in anything you believe is evil"...to flip that around, "participation in everything you believe is good"...which I think is very much about who God is. God, who is love and who is righteous. Following in the footsteps of our savior, I love the words of Romans 6:18 which I put in the title...which says:
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
Here are some slaves, who are not Christian (as far as I know...they actually very well may be flaming devotees of our God who are but humble in their faith):
I really like that there are people like this man, Narayanan Krishnan who quit his job as a 5 star hotel chef to founding a non-profit company called Akshaya Trust that feeds destitute 400 homeless and poor folks in India.
And people like Marcia Merrick from Kansas City who feeds her homeless friends every single day, 60 hours a week.
I also just watched a video on TED.com which discussed the creation of the site Patientslikeme.com. The website connects people, connects and collects data and reflects it back to its users...who are al (I believe) suffering from some sickness, chronic or otherwise. The website developed out of a love and compassion for a blood brother who suffered from ALS and whose condition slowly deteriorated. To someone like me, who thoroughly enjoys connecting with people in similar physical condition and who also yearns for more information and feedback in regards to the advancement of medicine, AND who knows and requires information to make better and more important life decisions regarding health etc...this website is truly Godsent.
These three inspiring stories fill me with creativity and spark my imagination with endless possibilities.
How can I help those around me? What has been done, what has worked, what has not worked, and how can I do things differently so that I can improve the physical/spiritual/mental condition of my sisters and brothers who inhabit this Earth.
I guess my conclusion now, may be a little abrupt, but a little different as well. I really don't know if I want to "convert", so to speak, people to my political views of anarchism despite my conviction that is the most theologically et. all, sound. Honestly as a follower of Christ I really should and want to be focused entirely on the cross/empty tomb and for me that means spreading His goodnews of love and blessings for all peoples. If I have come off as too proud, too sure in my position, please accept my apology and forgive my anxious and troubled heart.
In peace, to love and serve the Lord
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