The Spirit of Who?

So much to blog about.

So little time.

I really didn't intend to blog about this particular subject, but when given links by Facebook friends, I tend to read them.  And when I read them, thoughts start surfacing.  And when thoughts begin surfacing, I need to write.

A friend posted this link to a blog:

http://omgcenter.com/2011/02/god-economic-justice-and-the-madison-rotunda/

It's a pretty good read as far as things are concerned.  It returns to the situation in Madison, WI and the protests of the governor's plan to strip unions of some of their collective bargaining rights.  The author articulates why she would gladly head to the protests and add her voice.

I don't have any issue with anyone adding his or her voice to the thousands who are protesting in Madison, but I am starting to have a problem with folks adding their theological justification for doing such a thing.  While not an explicit statement, the author, as well as others have an underlying tone of: God is on the side of the protestors, and I'm joining God's side.

This deserves careful attention, particularly in light of what is happening in Wisconsin and in other places around the country.

The author of the blog asks:

So the question that many Christians are raising is, Why offer money in the form of tax breaks to the wealthy and to large corporations while taking it away from the middle class, simultaneously taking away their power for collective bargaining against those in power?

Most pundits that I read argue the issue in Madison is not the money.  Even the unions have offered concessions financially.  At issue is the right of the workers to collectively bargain about their pensions and medical benefits.  The governor's bill strips unions of these rights.  Why?  Politics, plain and simple.  The unions make up the heavy hitters of the base of the Democrat party.  The Republican governor and the other Republican senators make up the majority, and they are playing partisan politics at its best: striving to weaken the Democrat's base with this bill.

To those who decry this as unjust, please remember that paybacks are hell.  Politics are politics, and Democrats have been sticking it to Republicans and Republicans have been sticking it to Democrats for as long as I can remember.  Both seek to weaken the other when one is in power, so this is nothing new.  What is at stake is how a Christian is called to respond to such a matter--not whose side God is on.  More on that in a moment.

The blog's author continues:

God has a habit, illustrated time and again in the Old and the New Testament, of calling people to economic justice.  God is, in short, preoccupied with the poor.  The theme of distributing wealth equitably so that, as the ELCA statement calls for, there be sustainable, sufficient livelihood for all.

Not some.

But all.

And while not everybody in the Rotunda is poor, they are more threatened than those getting Walker’s tax breaks.

And that is not right.

I'd like to take the author to task for just a moment.  I'll agree the Old Testament prophets call the nation to economic justice.  You can't read the prophets without seeing it, and if you miss it, you are blind.  But, let's walk on over to the New Testament for a moment.  Is there a call for economic justice?  Absolutely.  Within the church.  The church is called to economic justice as a place where the haves share with the have nots.  Within the church, Christians look to redistribute wealth and feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, etc.  There is no place within the New Testament which calls upon the government to do so.  Not one.

Why?

Well, the church wasn't exactly rubbing noses with the governments at the time.  The church was pushed to the fringes and actually persecuted by the government.  The church had no power, and so it began creating its own way of doing things--REGARDLESS of what kind of government was in place.  If a Christian publically called for government reform, the Christian was liable to be thrown to the lions for sport.  So most Christians didn't try to oppose the government at all.  In fact, Paul is very keen to portray Christians as supporters of government unless government enacts laws which contradict God's laws.

Now, I am sure someone will point out the fallacy of my logic by saying that God, through the prophets, demanded economic justice from the Israelite Monarchy.  This should apply for the Christian church.  Right.  The church.  Not the government.  Unless the government is considered a Christian government.  If the government is considered Christian...if the nation is considered Christian...then such rules apply.

Which begs the question: is our nation a Christian nation?  Is our government a Christian government?  Be careful how you answer that question--particularly my Lutheran readers out there.

Final point about this blog, and it comes from the comments section:

Jay Hornbacher says:

 

... May the spirits of Isaiah, Amos, and Micah speak through all who are part of this protest, which number will include me, at noon on Saturday, February 26 on the steps of the Minnesota state capital in St. Paul. Join me there if you can!

 

Notice anything particularly missing from that statement?  Let me give you a hint and rephrase my question: notince anyONE missing from that statment?  Where is the Spirit of Jesus?  As far as I can remember from my Bible readings, we as Christians are not supposed to be imitators of Isaiah, Amos, and Micah.  As far as I can remember, we are called to be imitators of Christ.

 

Now, with that on the table, let's do some hard core theology in regards to this situation up in Wisconsin.  Let's do some hard theological reflection about our calling as Christians in the midst of this particular issue.

 

#1: Let's dispense with the "sides" talk.  Let's trash the idea that God is on anyone's particular side in other words.  Let's use the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln when the spoke that famous phrase about us not being as concerned about whose side God is on; rather let's worry about if we are on God's side.

 

#2: Let's reflect upon how one is called to act in the face of injustice according to Jesus.  As we look at Jesus' life and his actions, is there anything which would help us understand how to address a law which we feel is unjust?  Actually, there is.  It's the Sermon on the Mount.

 

³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; ⁴⁰and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; ⁴¹and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. ⁴²Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. --Matthew 5:38-42

 

If, at what the heart of this issue in Wisconsin and other places is the right to collective bargain, and it is an injustice to take that right, how does Jesus call his followers to respond?  Does He tell them to dig in their heels, demand compromise, demand a removal of the bill, have a "I'll be damned if I do" attitude?

 

No.

 

Jesus invites His followers to take it on the chin, but to do so without allowing anyone to demean them and by embarassing those who wish to commit injustice.  How?

 

In the first example of turning the other cheek, Jesus tells his followers to offer their left cheek if someone struck them on the right cheek.  Essentially, if someone in the semitic culture strickes you on the right cheek, they are striking you with the left hand.  This is the hand used to wipe yourself in that culture.  The person striking with their left hand is calling the other person "dung"--not even worthy of a blow with the clean hand.  Jesus tells His followers to invite the other person to strike with the right hand; to say, "I am worth more than dung.  Treat me as an equal and hit me with your right hand."  Incidentally, the right hand was the sword hand, so Jesus' followers were inviting a death blow--which put a huge burden on the person striking.  Is the offense worth death?  Do I dare strike again?  You can sense the rock and hard place Jesus' teaching forces another into--but it comes with a risk for Jesus' followers.  Death.  Yet, Jesus says, "Don't let anyone treat yoou as less than you are.  Show that you aren't afraid to die so that others will treat you as an equal."

 

The second example is similar.  In Jesus' day, if a Roman soldier (the government who occupied the country) wanted to take your coat, you were required to give it.  Without question.  But Jesus takes it a step further.  Jesus says, "Give them your cloak as well."  Why is this significant?  Most folks only had two garments.  If you gave your cloak, you were left naked.  Jesus tells His followers, to show that they don't even care about their clothing.  "You can rob me of my clothing because it doesn't matter to me.  You can take whatever, but you can't rob me of my dignity as a human."

 

Finally, traveling the extra mile.  Again, the Roman law satated a Roman soldier or tax collector could make a Jew carry his trunk.  But the law said the maximum a person could carry was one mile.  Jesus says, "Do two."  Why?  Well, when the one mile was up, the soldier would be put in a bind.  He would have to try to stop you. But if you refused?  If you said, "Nope.  I'm going another mile.  You can't stop me."  You are showing the law has no control over you as a person.  You stand on your own, with your own dignity.

 

So, how could such a teaching be put in place in Wisconsin?  How could teacher's and other public service workers act as Christ's followers in such a manner?  Here are a few suggestions:

 

1. Every single teacher who is a member of the union, hand in their resignations at the same time.

2. Every single teacher who is a member of the union, sign a waver not only giving up their collective bargaining rights but also waiving the rights given to them in the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.

3. Every single teacher who is a member of the union, peacefully going along with the current bill yet writing a letter to the governor and the senators who are passing it now informing them that they will be working diligently without pause to convince the rest of the population to elect Democrats the next election who will overturn this law.

 

It seems to me, such action is more in accord with Christ's teaching that the current methodology of protest and digging in one's heels to prevent something from being taken from them.  And it certainly seems more in line with what Christ taught instead of what the prophets taught.  But I guess it depends upon in whose Spirit one chooses to act.