So, two things have struck me so hard lately, and both are sort of related, so let me see if I can articulate what I’m thinking.I know this guy named Richie. Well, know is a slight exaggeration, but I see him every week when he makes a delivery to the place where I work. He stays and talks for maybe 10 minutes every Wednesday, and those 10 minutes have proved pretty revealing.
Two weeks ago, we were discussing the 2 reporters who we being held in North Korea. “Bomb the whole country,” Richie said. “Just nuke them off the face of the planet, they’re so crazy.”
I paused (briefly) and asked about all the innocent people who lived in North Korea (I didn’t think it was the right time to tell him that I had tremendous feelings of mercy for the perpetrators too).
“I don’t give a s*** about innocent North Koreans. I am only interested in America and what keeps us safe.”
As I reviewed all the logical arguments I could have expressed, even simple ones like the fact that we live in a GLOBAL economy - so getting rid of everyone else means getting rid of ourselves – I soon realized that logic was playing no part in our discussion, so I dropped it.
Yesterday, I read THIS article in the Washington Post about the homecoming of the same two reporters. Besides criticizing Bill Clinton and never mentioning the names of the two women who were imprisoned, the writer John Bolton has a lot of opinions. We probably can’t pick each one apart, but like Richie he espouses this:
“Negotiating from a position of strength, where the benefits to American interests will exceed the costs, is one thing.”
Again with the strength thing. Again with the power thing. Again with us and them thinking.
Christians: We are not about power. As a matter of fact, we’re not even about self-interest! Our Jesus was not motivated by fear or self-preservation or by the need to have the upper hand.
He did what was right for us (there is no them), and He did it out of love.
Welcome home, Euna Lee and Laura Ling. He knows your names.
3 comments:
I've read some interesting books over the past two weeks. It didn't change my views on religion, but altered my thinking a little. What I took from my readings was while Lord God wasn't necessarily peaceful, Jesus was/is. Humans seem to lack the intrinsic ability to be peaceful (overall, and yes, I'm generalizing) and Jesus message of love and peace was intended to help us all.
I'm curious if Richie thinks he's a Christian and how he thinks God/Jesus reacts to his beliefs.
Glad you're back from vacation, W!
A friend sent this email to me. I think it's worth a read:
Hi Wendy,
This attitude deeply grieves my heart. Partly because there is such an impenetrable blindness in some and partly because I feel I was blind for too many years.
As I think about my next 20 years and what I want to contribute to the universal body of Christ it centers on challenging the way Christianity has become the liner of the American box.
Sometimes I waffle between feeling enlightened or terribly arrogant. Not sure which. Certain things seem so obvious to me now. The American Christian is so comfortable with the collateral damage of war. “Yes the innocent die, but ultimately the world is now better off.” And these people would all consider themselves pro-life. So few seem to understand how these attitudes affect the ability of Christ love to shine out to the world. As everyday goes by I feel a growing distance from Christian friends. There are so few of them that I would want a new follower of Jesus to be around. Maybe this is why I’ve been reticent to invite people to a church gathering over the years.
I watched a short clip from Shane Claiborne about the Rich Man and Lazarus. Is the American church the rich man? Do we ignore the poor crying out to us? Is anything less than a hearty “yes” to these questions complete denial? If there is a literal hell, are we headed there?
I’ve been deeply trouble by how the fallout of the war in Iraq has affected the Christian community in Iraq. Things have got exponentially worse for Christians since the fall of Sadaam. Over 500K has fled the country. Those who have stayed behind live in fear. They have found family members shot dead. I tried to express my deep concern about this to a Christian sister. Her response, “we can’t really be held responsible for that, we are just trying to help them.” The blinding veil of the empire is frightening. I watch this same person get furious over a government who they feel is going to destroy their healthcare, but then feel no collective responsibility or outrage for the mess we have created over there. Are things better for some in Iraq, probably? Will things be better in the end, maybe? But in the mean time doesn’t the church have some sort of responsibility for the living hell some face right now. Can we wash our hands so easily?
I was just reading in Mountains beyond Mountains. “Farmer told me that he found his life work not in books or in theories but mainly through experiencing Haiti. “I would read stuff from scholarly texts and know they were wrong. Living in Haiti, I realized that a minor error in one setting of power and privilege could have enormous impact on the poor in another.” “God gives but doesn’t share. God gives us humans everything we need to do flourish, but he’s not the one who’s supposed to divvy up the loot. That charge was laid upon us.”
"Imago Dei" in the image of God. It was a theme of a bible study I attended a day ago. How do people react when they know that EVERYONE was created with Imago Dei? It startled those in the study in just their little environment in a little mtn town where I do not live or worship to come to the realization. Why? Why do some think that only applies to some? Are we not all human? Are we not all created by the same God? Are we not all part of Imago Dei?
Take heed dear one that the world is infiltrated by love and peace and joy just as much as the evil stuff, it's just not newsworthy. My bro in law is in Iraq with his Civil Affairs Unit with the Army Reserves. He is just starting his 10 month deployment this week. He is a Godly man with a wonderful heart for helping those in need. His unit is to specifically identify the needs of the people, not the army, the people of Iraq and find the resources to help them.
I pray that your heart is filled to capacity with the overwhelming love of those around you who don't necessarily let you in on it. Richie needs an education, pray that he gets one and that its painless. I pray his teacher is Korean!
I love your blog and will miss your posts! Have a great time watching the ball games!
Post a Comment