At the beginning of this war, when many Christians were rushing to rally around the President, I was more philosophical. I maintained that you cannot transform a bad idea into a good one simply by deciding to do it. That you cannot turn an immoral strategy into a moral one by executive order. How did I act on this conviction? I told my wife. I was so ashamed of the inhumane treatment of prisoners by our own forces, whether officially sanctioned or merely allowed - that once again I told my wife. Which seemed kind of courageous at the time but now strikes me as both a cowardly and irresponsible dereliction of Christian civic duty.
In this country we love to affirm our freedom of speech. But freedom of speech implies the responsibility to speak freely and to influence the national debate. I failed in that responsibility. But I also failed in an even more serious responsibility - the uniquely Christian responsibility to be a moral sentinel. I’d like to think with you today about what it means to be sentinel, and what we as sentinels with differing points of view can say together.
The prophet Ezekiel tells us about the crucial role of the sentinel, or watchman, whose job it is to warn the people of the city. The watchman cannot control the people’s response. If he or she warns them and they do not heed the warning, then, Scripture tells us, the people must assume responsibility for their own fate. But if the sentinel sees the danger and does not sound the alarm, then that sentinel will be held responsible for whatever ills befall the people.
From The Sentinel by Scott Garber via Street Prophets.
As Christian Peacemaker Teams wait for the fate of four of their workers, they held vigil in Washington. The account is here.
Published 2 years, 9 months ago
Search
Subscribe 
You are currently browsing the Bene Diction Blogs On weblog archives.
Related Entries
For blog design, Wordpress or MovableType coding or blog consulting, see cre8d design.
How squeaky clean and morally pure must be the life of the avowed pacifist. How enviable to be able to enjoy the free exercise of speech without ever having to spill a drop of blood to defend it. How convenient to always have the popular view … to kill or not to kill? To kill or not BE killed? Peace or war? That’s a no brainer … peace very single time.
Until that’s no longer an option — unless one thinks that martyrdom is the preferred outcome to every issue. How cheap and easy our grace and therefore our martyrdom has become. Sweating drops of blood in Gethsemane? Not us, no sir. Gimme a big heapin’ helpin’ of that cheap grade stuff that requires no sacrifice of me other than to feel troubled occasionally.
Sentinel, my foot. And yes, I had another part of the anatomy further north in mind, truth be told.
Interesting, Rev. Mike. I wonder what God’s response was to the Israelites when God told them, as judgment for the torture of their children by sacrificing their children to idols, if they didn’t obey God by attacking the ites?
I have no idea how squeeky clean and morally pure a pacifists life is.
Please be aware the gentleman who gave this speech is not a pacifist, addresses that, and his faith as a citizen of the US.
Gentlemen:
I am a pacifist. I am also not at all averse to having a respectful Christian discussion about the biblical grounds for Christian pacifism, which I believe to be integral to a gospel grounded in God’s love for his enemies.
However, I do not expect to enjoy such a discussion with people whose first shot across the bows is full of sarcasm and ridicule. I can be wrong; therefore I will not speak sarcastically of the people with whom I disagree.
But then again, as Bene reminds us, this post is not about pacifism. So I’d better shut up.
You are all absolutely correct, especially you, Tim. Starting off with such a “shot across the bow” is essentially a non-starter as conversations go. Also, BD, I based my reaction on what you excerpted rather than the article as a whole. I apologize both for my sarcasm and my cynicism.
I start off my understanding of this subject with the recognition that biblically speaking, the subject of pacifism does not seem to me to be nearly as cut and dried as many would have it sound. The Old Testament is filled with violence, both sanctioned and condemned, and it seems to me that to ignore that and focus only on that which supports a pacifist perspective in Jesus’ words not only disrespects the integrity of the whole of scripture, it borders on the Marcionism of old. This is, after all, the very difficulty in holding the two poles in tension that led Marcion down the path he chose.
Enough about pacifism. I’ll go back and read the article and come back later.
Tim, I’m glad you came over, I’m glad you said what you said, I will not ask you to shut up, nor will you be shouted down here.
Because I’m Canadian just about anything I put up about the US and her people is perceived as suspect.
I’ll put it up anyway, and I will not be disrespectful to people that hold different views. That isn’t because I’m Canadian, it’s because I believe Christians are asked to first be followers in His Kingdom.
Having watched the vitrol and ignorance online of what CPT does and how they were scorned and villified when the four were initially abducted, BDBO will be a place where this discussion can be held with regard for all, without ignorance.
How quickly we forget that a British man, two Canadians and an American put their lives on the line a different way than a military one.
A few days ago a 70 year old Canadian anabaptist went to Iraq to take his place, to be there, so that if by the grace of God the team members are released, they’ll be greated with care,love and joy by a brother.
Rev. Mike I give a hearty support for what you said. dh
Thanks, dh. By the way, PBS will be airing a documentary on Bonhoeffer tonight. Not sure how helpful that is to a Canadian audience, i.e., which of those programs/networks you have access to, but the website for the program is http://www.pbs.org/bonhoeffer/. Bonhoeffer always provides me an interesting counterpoint in these types of discussions. Apart from my tone above, there’s probably some influence there in what I started out with up the page.
Thanks - programming times may be a bit different and this is worth checking out.
I have no problem with you or your tone Mike.;^)