AWESTRUCKDUMBPILGRIM
  • Home Page
  • Musings
  • Reflections on Quotes
  • Poems
  • Aphorisms
  • Non Judgmental Awareness
  • The Year of Living Slowly
  • Pastor of Listening (Description and Articles)
  • Refuse to be Driven so that you Might be Drawn
  • Contemplation (Definitions)
  • Left-handed Power
  • Thickening the Sacred Story: Narrative Therapy and Spiritual Direction
  • Spiritual Direction, Contact Information
  • The Nature of Evil

Solidarity vs. Systems

12/5/2013

1 Comment

 
I doubt that even the most knowledgeable historian could prove this, but let's assume that America is the most humane and liberated society in the history of civilization. It is, nevertheless, a system built upon a faulty foundation. (And this would have been true even without the ruthless injustices done to the indigenous peoples and the wealth built upon the backs of slaves. Realities from which we have all profited, if such a thing can be said without nausea.)

Even if democracy and capitalism are the best means to create opportunity for the most people, they are still systems built upon faulty foundations. Systems are merely tools to be wielded, not ideologies to be defended. This is especially true for Christians who, by virtue of being followers of Christ, already have an ideology to defend: The kingdom of heaven.

Even though we have a hard time understanding and coming to an agreement on all of what Jesus meant to announce in this kingdom, I think we can agree that it has nothing to do with domination or defending the status quo for those with power and wealth, regardless of how valuable they may be to society as creators of opportunity. And yet, as far as I can see, this is at the heart of the issues that consume the political discourses in America today.

The result is division, not "a more perfect union." I don't need to detail all the divisions in our society. They are obvious. What I would like to suggest is that the kingdom of heaven offers an alternative story where we can come together under the realization that we are all victims of heartless systems -- rich and poor alike. Some deprived of hope, other of solidarity, most deprived of a felt awareness of our interdependence and our deep need for hope and solidarity.

The world systems inspire an image of the self as independent, as if our actions didn't affect others and the world. They delude us into thinking that wealth and an imaginary future security is the way to abundant life. Even if our security costs other their very lives. The systems leave us blind to our culpability for the suffering of our brothers and sisters. Abraham Joseph Heschel summarized this well when he said that "some are guilty, but all are responsible."

The kingdom that Jesus pictured and the mission that he described and modeled inspires solidarity, through sharing in his suffering, his suffering in the least and last. Blaming people for bad choices that lead to suffering is not sharing in that suffering. Certainly, there must be a place for truth telling and repentance, but the context for these things is compassion. Not pity or sympathy, com-passion: suffering with.

By defending systems rather than what is most human and divine in each other, we devalue both. When, in fact, these are the source of our unity and creativity, which happen to be the only hope for us all.


1 Comment
Dan
12/6/2013 12:52:45 am

Thanks for these words, David. I always cringe a bit when I hear people talk about American troops fighting "to preserve our way of life" given that what I think they really mean is fighting for capitalism (or unchecked materialism) which is especially ironic since through the years it is those who have benefited least from the capitalistic system (the poor) who most often have "gone to war." Dan Berrigan, when speaking to a largely Catholic audience once said, "the question is whether or not we identify ourselves as Catholic Americans or American Catholics. The same challenge can be extended, I believe, to most Americans who identify as Christians. You're in agreement with Berrigan who knows that most Christians in the U.S., give allegiance to the values of the dominant culture which often fly in the face of the vision and values of the reign of God which has always been an irritant to the dominant systems of the world. If an American politician ran on a ticket rooted in the vision of the Reign of God which Jesus came announcing and embodying, that campaign would be out of business before the New Hampshire Primary. Solidarity, suffering, and compassion <-- wise words. Thanks.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.