AT HIS LEFT AND AT HIS
RIGHT:
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By Wes Howard BrookAs Christians, what is our relation to the global economy and its seemingly dignified instruments of oppression and greed, or with the police who stomped on free speech and peaceful bodies? What is our relationship with the violent anarchists, vilified by both the media and their fellow protesters? What does the Bible say about the troops whose job it is to ensure that the W.T.O. accomplishes its mission? Just after Jesus explains what would happen to Him in Jerusalem, James and John ask to sit at His right and left (Mark 10:35-40). Words like "spit on", "flog" and "crucify" didn't register - they expected glory, rank and power. When Christ came to His great triumph, where were they? Instead, "those for whom it has been prepared" were "social bandits" (lestas in Greek, Mark 14:50), Robin Hood types. In desperate poverty and solidarity with their communities, lestas robbed the rich caravans going to Jerusalem, to share with the needy. (The only person who knew that Christ was dying in his place, for his sins - Barabas - was also a lestas.) After two days of powerful "teach-ins" about the W.T.O.'s violence and two days of peaceful prayer, protest, and street marches (none of which appeared in the media), the W.T.O. were desperate to distract people from the unveiling (apocalypto in Greek) of the truth. We don't know if the vandalism was started by anarchists, communists, or the police who we know were in disguise in the crowds. But it gave the media what they needed: sensational images that stopped all discussion. Capitalism's detractors were all officially anarchists and hoodlums. Of course there were real anarchists in Seattle. Not all anarchists are violent, but many believe in destroying a dehumanising, oppressive global system through targeted property destruction. This makes powerful PR for the capitalists. It let them establish martial law, curfews, and a "no-protest zone" around the W.T.O. site, besides bringing in armoured personnel carriers. Many Christians stayed away, either out of fear of the military, or horror at how beautiful peace had been transformed into bloody violence. Many Christians still protested from a distance. Yet at Jesus' right and left were people more like anarchists than like me. Jesus would not, of course, encourage violence, nor condone the actions of the lestas' (let's ignore what He did to the money-changers in the Temple for as long as possible!) Some non-believers, whose tactics we deplore, end up closer to living out the Gospel than we. Purity codes that keep us from "sinners", fear of persecution, or desire to avoid painful confrontations keep us from associating with lestas as Jesus did. After the violence, over 500 prisoners refused to co-operate with warders until all were promised release. Meanwhile, the gaol was surrounded for three days by a crowd, supporting them, singing, and getting soaked by rain. This reminds me of how different the church would be if we were less afraid and more trusting of Jesus - whether at the foot of His cross, or hanging from it at His right and at His left. |
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