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Alan Creech
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aaron klinefelter
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July 04, 2009
> 9:38 AM
inappropriate thoughts Yeah, that got your attention, didn't it? Things are not as you suppose, at least not that I'm talkin' on here about. Anyway, today's inappropriate thoughts are as concerns the 4th of July in the United States. Most would find my thoughts today, at least, inappropriate, if not downright treasonous or even "sinful." Such it will have to be I suppose. Recently, I've been re-reading through Thomas Merton's The New Man, highlighting as I go. I have to be careful not to highlight the whole book. A couple of days ago, perhaps providentially, I read this little passage, which lies in the middle of a discussion of something else which I will also share here. For now, though, just this bit. This is no brand new thought for me - he just says it well, and I thought I'd share it with you today, inappropriate or not. ...while we learn to be humble and virtuous as individuals, we allow ourselves to commit the worst crimes in the name of "society." We are gentle in our private life in order to be murderers as a collective group. For murder, committed by an individual, is a great crime. But when it becomes war or revolution, it is represented as the summit of heroism and virtue. —Thomas Merton, The New ManWait there mister, it's not murder if it's done in a "just war" - many don't even worry whether it's allegedly "just" or not. Anyway, this is the argument. I certainly don't have room in a blog post to fully refute such a thing. I will, though, say this - in the case of a revolution, things do get a bit hairy with any kind of argument to justify Christian participation in the killing of other human beings. Revolution is not done as the action of any State. It is, by definition, not sanctioned or official as "war." It is disobedient, rebellious treason. It is often accompanied by what we now define as terrorism. Most revolutionaries do not wear uniforms. They have no President, no government. They may well be organized, but officially speaking, they are merely a gang of disgruntled citizens picking up what they can to throw at, to shoot at whom they can, to get the change they want. Now, whether or not this is ever a justifiable act is another story. And I said "justifiable act," not a justifiable act for a Christian person to be involved in - this TOO is another story. Irony alert: I cry when I watch Band of Brothers or that last scene in Saving Private Ryan - can't help it. I want to stand up and salute that grave with him, tears streaming down my face. When I watch Michael Collins or The Wind That Shakes the Barley, my blood boils and the IRA makes a whole hell of a lot of sense to me. There is a worldly nobility to these kinds of actions. I can deeply understand some of the whys. Of course, I'm not sure not wanting to pay extra taxes and being in control of your own economy is on a par with having your language and religion suppressed along with the constant violence which accompanied the enforcement of such laws - not quite. Anyway, I just wanted to say I have emotional understanding of such things. But... But what? Just pick up a freakin' musket and get on the line, citizen! We might burn down your shop if you don't - might, just get out there! Hey, my ancestors fought in that mess, volunteered for it, and King George had given them hundreds of acres of land. I'm off track - but what? But JESUS, that's what. But as a Christian, I don't need to be putting myself in the middle of a worldly battle that has me taking aim at, stabbing or blowing up my fellow human beings, perhaps even my siblings in Christ, even if it makes some kind of sense to do so. Some things trump others - and my identity in Christ is the BIG trump card - even if I'm not fully formed in it - all the more reason why I shouldn't jump into something broken like a war or a revolution. I'm helping to perpetuate the brokenness of the world if I do this. I suggest we all sit out - all those who belong to Jesus sit out the wars and revolutions and anything else that has us killing one another. We sit out on abortion, most of us. That's seen as a broken necessity by many. Why not war and killing grown people? We sit out on divor... wait, sorry, I thought I had one there. We simply too often take the pragmatic road, we Christians. Going against the grain is too hard. We'll even come up with complicated theologies that help us not go against the grain. It's hard for me to understand how this is not seen. One can just keep talking, I suppose. And when it comes to any future bloody revolutions, and there will be, don't be naive, I'll be sitting those out and encouraging my siblings to do the same. Pax vobiscum. Labels: christian life, pacifism, war and peace 0 Comments:| permalink | e-mail me | 
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