Brian’s Reflection: Friday, June 5, 2009

America's corporate and political elites now form a regime of
their own and they're privatizing democracy. All the benefits –
the tax cuts, policies and rewards flow in one direction: up.

For the first time in our history, ideology and theology
hold a monopoly of power in Washington.

Secrecy is the freedom tyrants dream of.

War, except in self-defense, is a failure of moral imagination.

- Bill Moyers, born on this date, 1934

We often hear talk about heroes in American culture. And often, without reflection, soldiers are identified as heroes. I reject this, as I think every follower of Jesus should. I am utterly convinced that the God of Love does not condone war in any fashion, nor the lifestyle of war or militarism. The God of 2000 years ago, as depicted in the Hebrew scriptures, was barely emerging out of the culture of warfare. But the God of Jesus, still 2000 years ago, transcended that image ………. and you would think that we would have gotten that message 2000 years later. There is no way that, since perhaps WWII, I can possible think of any war as in any way defensible – though theologically war is never defensible.

Bill Moyers is one of my heroes. His quotes reflect the policy of Republicans, with which we have been plagued for the last 8 years under George Bush and Dick Cheney and their minions. We have lived under tyrants for many years now. Now, you may think that I am being political. Not so. I am being theological. It is clear that Jesus was concerned not for the “up” but for the “down”. The “down” spiritually (which is all of us), and also for the “down” politically and culturally. Jesus spoke out against those who coddled power and who crushed the marginalized. He criticized the political elite who imposed their ideology (the Romans) and those who lorded their theology (the Israelite elite). Were He on the Earth today, I know without a shadow of a doubt that he would denounce Republican policy and their “in bedness” with Christian fundamentalists, and present-day Republicans for their utter hypocrisy as He did the Pharisees. And, of course, any Democrat who embraced such policies.

Jesus said often that it would be very hard to follow Him. His ethic, His justice, is highly demanding. He said that any who chose to follow Him would be persecuted. It has proven true. It will probably always be so, I am afraid, human beings being what we are.

I am not saying that the present administration is by any means perfect. Having voted for Mr. Obama, there are many things about which I disagree at the moment. Alas, politics demands strange bedfellows.

The path of a follower of Jesus, to my mind, is clear: be on the side of the marginalized, and be a Peacemaker.

Brian+