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.
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.
