meditatio at the water's edge

Sorry I Missed Jim Wallis

I wish I had been able to hear Jim speak. As I reflect on the past four years (since 9/11), I think the three most clear tactics of the current administration have been: 1) to perpetuate and stir up fear (not only the "War on Terror," but also with Iraq, during the election, and now with Social Security, 2) to position themselves as the champions ('saviors?') against those fears, and 3) to trade (even using the language of 'political capital') on those fears, acting unilaterally and without accountability (even casually dismissing challenges to its false pretenses for war by blaming bad intelligence).

Besides apparent arrogance and deception, the thing that really bothers me is the use of fear-mongering as a tactic for political strong-arming. Not a new tactic, to be sure, but certainly not reflective of the politics of the reign of God. What are we teaching ourselves about where to look for solutions, let alone salvation?

Jesus' response to Israel's nationalistic agenda pointed out the folly of trying to make a solution for themselves. What they needed was to trust God through the time of testing--to trust that God would act to rescue them. Their responsibility was to re-present the way of love and blessing to the world around them--to embody the justice of God rather than to mete out their own form of it. Let evil do its worst, but do not share in it; then God will vindicate you as the one who is right. That's what Jesus did by going to the cross--he trusted God through the worst that evil could do, and that God would vindicate him and his way of being Israel. Indeed, his way of being human.

Of course, governments are all flawed because the people who make them up are flawed. Of course, protecting its citizens from those who intend to do them harm is an important role of governments. It is complex both practically and ethically. But for me and my fellow disciples of Jesus, we must choose not to be led by fear to make 'solutions' for ourselves that cause us to participate in the cycle of evil. Our 'Way' is to let evil do its worst, trusting God to deliver us through it. That doesn't mean that we don't challenge evil--it simply means we refuse to participate in it for the sake of so-called security--or for any other reason.