Brian’s Reflection: Friday, November 21, 2008


For us, genocide was the gas chamber - what happened
in Germany. We were not able to realize that with the
machete you can create a genocide.

- Boutros Boutros-Ghali, of Egypt, becomes Sec-General
of the United Nations on this day, 1991


You don’t even need a machete. All you need is what the Bible describes as the smallest organ in the body, but which causes the most evil and pain and suffering. Namely ….. the tongue.

There is a “commandment” (which I interpret as a positive guideline) in the Hebrew Bible which says, Do not bear false witness against your neighbour. Have you read the book Constantine’s Sword - if you haven’t actually paid attention to “History”? It takes only a second to realize that hundreds of years of barbaric, unChristian, self-serving, words of arrogant so-called Christians and others caused the suffering and death of millions of Jews. The same dynamic is true today: what people are saying about other human beings leads to the horror and suffering of millions of human beings. Words can kill. The Turks wrought genocide on the Armenians (which they refuse to admit, so accusing is their shame, all for the sake of “face”). The Hutu’s massacred a half-million Tutsis. Serbs against Muslims. Chinese Hans against Tibetans. On and on it goes.

More and more I ask myself, as I age, and after 40 years in Christian ministry - What is the point of Religion? Is it at all useful? Or is it basically a tool in the hand of Evil, bringing out the worst in us, and only heaping the burdens of suffering and hate upon humankind?

I have to admit that there is a part of me that leans towards what I just said. But there is also a part of me that simply has to believe that human beings are capable of Love, Compassion, of belief in the holiness of all human beings and of Creation.

How we can get this truth imparted, I don’t – after decades, I have to admit - know. “Eschatology” (End-time talk) is useless: the fact that God may come to judge at some near or distant time has made no difference in how people behave. Nor does any talk about punishment in Hell. Nor does a death penalty. I am beginning to see that many people can only be compassionate and kind and just when there are no persons who are deprived of the blessings of Life which “God” has writ into Existence. Until that goal is embraced by all and seen to be earnestly worked for, we shall kill and hate and demean.

How shall we help people understand this? I think in only one way now.

Give up one’s Life for one’s “friends”. What does this mean for you?

Brian+