Thanks to Graham for this- it hits at the heart of the ‘Christian Nation’ nonsense, at a time when the worlds only superpower is starting to decline…
America stands in a long line of previous Empires who employ Jesus as a military-industrial figurehead to justify all sorts of things that are simply incompatible with any understanding of what Jesus died for. From Constantine to Queen Victoria.
That was what I spat out when one of my fellow retreatants passed on the news of the recent death of some of Gaddafi’s family– his son and three of his young grandsons.
On our return from the island, we learned too about the death of Osama Bin Laden– and the national rejoicing across the USA.
The contrast with the peace and tranquility that we had just experienced was palpable.
As if the final level of the game had now been successfully navigated. Time to put the controller down and go to bed. We can order Call of Duty 14 in the morning and start all over again.
We can take out some more towel heads tomorrow because it is not real- not real flesh and gristle we smeared on a whitewashed wall. Not real just-brushed baby teeth that we smashed in. Not real martyrs that we made.
It was all on a screen.
We have the power, and might is always right.
Here is a little quote from Brian McLaren that says it all-
Joyfully celebrating the killing of a killer who joyfully celebrated killing carries an irony that I hope will not be lost on us. Are we learning anything, or simply spinning harder in the cycle of violence?
this fragile tent 