briefermadness

Please go read "Citizens of the Empire - Thoughts on Patriotism, Dissent and Hope" by Robert Jensen (a .pdf file, so you can read it online).

Jensen challenges my comfortable thought patterns about nationhood, patriotism and citizenship. As a Christian, it leaves me with some disturbing questions to answer. As a Christian, am I a citizen of the United States, or am I a citizen of the world? In answering that, what does it mean to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God? As a citizen of the United States, I know I have the "right" to dissent and speak out when I disagree with the government. In fact, Jensen would say I do not just have a "right," but an obligation. As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, though, how much deeper is my obligation? Forget my duty as an American; what is my duty to my King?

America is slipping further and further into empire. We like to think of ourselves as a benevolant empire, but are we being blind to our own arrogance and violence? Because of our power, it is easy for us to impose our will on other people. Because we can easily impose our will, there is a natural temptation to use our power to selfish ends. We like to tell ourselves that we use our power for noble causes; yet are we just kidding ourselves?

Iraq, for example. If Iraq did not control so much of the world's oil supply, would we even know where it is, much less be concerned with "bringing democracy" and stopping Saddam from killing his own people? If our international motives are truely to relieve suffering, bring democracy and stop genocide, then why haven't we intervened in East Timor, Sudan or any of the other shameful examples of genocide around the planet? How many tyrants has our country supported (including Saddam), and how much genocide and injustice have we knowingly ignored, because of our "national [usually economic] interest"? Quite often America acts with good motives, to help the oppressed and bring justice; but quite often America acts with evil or selfish motives, to line its own pocket and to sacrifice the security, freedom and economics of other people in order to make sure that the people of America are wealthy and have cheap gas.

I fear that someday future generations will look back on this time and wonder where all the Christians were. This is a "What would Jesus do?" question. Will future Christians look back on us some day and wonder why we kept silent, or allowed ourselves to be blinded to injustice because we were so focused on being "patriotic" or winning an election? Not that we necessarily fit into the "Nazi" mold, but millions of German Christians bought into the Third Reich, and a few (e.g., Bonhoffer) fought against it. As Christian citizens of the new "Empire America," how will history judge us? Will we be remembered as Christians who spoke from a true Kingdom perspective, as voices of the true King; or will we go down as one more generation of Christians who towed the party line, and waved flags and watched while our government created, or approved of, unspeakable attorcities around the globe?

And the personal question to me now is, what am I going to do? How should I then live?