Tag Archives: Ann Gaylia O’Barr

What’s a Public Servant?

Servant: “A person who performs duties for others” is one definition according to the Oxford English Dictionary. A definition of a public servant: “A person who works for the state or for local government.”

Since the dawn of prehistory, conquerors have taken over other people and recruited slaves and servants from the defeated population. As civilizations became more advanced, the elite classes made slaves and servants of the poorer classes. A servant was definitely an inferior. Few chose servanthood as an occupation.

Then a teacher named Jesus knelt before his disciples, took off their sandals, and washed their feet as a common servant. After this act of servitude—slavery even—he said, “You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

Jesus, called Lord of the universe by his followers, became a servant and called on us to do the same. Eventually, we understood that all our vocations—king, president, merchant, clerk, car mechanic, doctor—whatever we are called to do—are the means of serving others. A new idea was born, that government does not exist for its leaders but for the sake of the governed, whom their leaders serve.

Jesus stood on its head the usual way of doing things. But then he did this from the very beginning. The king of the universe opting to come as a helpless baby? And not in Rome or Athens, either. Not even venerable towns like Carthage or Alexandria. He came in a backwater Judean stable to a peasant woman. Who would have thought? Surely, it took God to think up that one.

What Is a “Just” War?

The Second World War was horrible as are all wars. People were tortured, fire-bombed, and killed on the battlefield. Surely, though, we might describe our efforts to help Britain and those fighting the Nazis in France, Scandinavia, and other places, as fighting a “just war.”

Nazi evils were blatant: killing even innocent children simply because of the religious heritage they were born with. In the beginning, though, as Hitler conquered European countries and Japan invaded China, some Americans were unconvinced that it really was “our” war. After all, we weren’t being directly victimized.

Then the German ally, Japan, bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I remember my mother recounting the family’s experiences on December 7, 1941. A neighbor, whose husband was in the U.S. army, called her and told her to turn on the radio. Listening to U.S. President Roosevelt talk of the Pearl Harbor attack as a “day that would live in infamy,” I imagine they thought about how their families would be affected. My father was too old to serve in this war. My father’s younger brother, however, would no doubt be called up to join the army. We had cousins and other relatives and friends who would be drafted. The understanding dawned on my family and other Americans that nations were prepared to fight us until we surrendered to them and they would take over our country and our government.

If any nation had viable reasons for going to war, it surely was the United States in 1941. That outlook has followed us ever since. Yet, this war wasn’t a war between two kingdoms trying to take the land of the other. We were literally fighting to survive as a nation.

Then, as the United States became a world power after the war’s end, we were blessed with leaders who sincerely wanted a world in which no wars threatened innocent people, in which no young people were robbed of adulthood. Obviously, the task has had mixed success. We have certainly fought wars, but, thankfully, as yet, no “world” war.

I wonder if our success at winning what might be called a “just” war—against Hitler and his allies—might have encouraged the idea that wars perhaps may not be such a bad thing. After all, if we hadn’t later fought in Korea, all of the country would be under a North Korean dictator, wouldn’t it? Instead, South Korea knows democratic governance. Perhaps the test is in determining if the war is “just”?

But this thinking may have led us to become horribly involved in Vietnam. We looked at it as freedom versus the tyranny of communism. However, we overlooked the desire of some Vietnamese to be free of colonialism. Communism may not have been a wise choice, but for many Vietnamese it may have been preferable to being forever governed by a colonial power.

Perhaps the phrase “it’s complicated” is particularly apt. Because of the obvious villainy of the Axis powers of World War II, we have tended to suppose that all conflicts have a clear enemy against which we must righteously battle.

Certainly, Russia’s attempts to overcome Ukraine is perhaps as near as any conflict to an evil power trying to destroy a people who want only the freedom to run their own affairs, who don’t wish a foreign dictator to control their country. In this case, they are asking only for material help, not American soldiers.

But what about conflicts in Gaza and the Middle East? Observers point to wrongdoing on both sides.

We should strive for “a just peace,” but with care that our decisions about wars and granting military assistance do not skirt unwise decisions like the ones that led to our involvement in Vietnam.

We should never think of war as a way to solve a problems. At best, it keeps selfish leaders, usually dictators, at bay until wiser answers can be found.

Dealing with the Electoral College

As we prepare for our next presidential election, candidates are announcing their campaigns for various offices. Once again that relic from the past known as the Electoral College overshadows the process.

I grew up, as did many Americans, supposing that every four years, we, the American people elected or re-elected our president, to oversee our government until the next presidential election. After a period of turmoil following that terrifying attack on the capitol the day of the 2021 electoral vote counting, more of us now understand that the election is only the first step in the process. The new presidential term begins only after the Electoral College meets in January and certifies the results of the November election.

Perhaps the problem is that the founders of the United States were not whole heartedly into the idea of the people actually ruling themselves. Better if they elected, not the president, but only supposedly wise men (at the time, only men voted and only for male candidates) who would then decide on the president.

That idea had fallen into a kind of quaint custom of the electoral college meeting in January to calmly put the final stamp on the person we the people thought we had elected in November. Then, of course, the country discovered that the quaint custom opened up the idea of a few people pushing the electors to elect who they wanted, regardless of the election numbers. Turmoil ensued, the aftermath of which we are still living through.

Many of us would like to change the Constitution to reflect the more democratic way of electing the president by the voters. Changing the Constitution was made too difficult for that to be done easily.

Perhaps we are stuck for the time being with our antiquated system of the electoral college. Nevertheless, we are certainly free to give serious thought to changing our constitution to reflect the ability of the people to actually elect the president. Perhaps it is time to grow up and go all the way toward a democracy.

 

From McCarthyism to 2024 Civil Disagreements

In the early 1950’s, Americans became concerned, even fearful, about the advances made by the Soviet Union in Europe. Fear is sometimes an instigator of disagreements and vastly conflicting views.

During this time, U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy made unproven charges that U.S. government agencies, the entertainment industry, and other American groups had been infiltrated with Soviet sympathizers. He was unable to prove his claims and was finally censured by his Senate colleagues for his conduct. The term “McCarthyism” became a name for unproven allegations against a person or group.

Americans continued to strongly disagree over various issues, such as American participation in Vietnam. Disagreements sometimes led to conflicts. Sometimes riots and even deaths resulted when a few groups yielded to the temptation to physically overcome an opposite viewpoint.

Strong beliefs can be a product of a government gaining power from a nation’s people rather than a dictator or a small group of the powerful. Most of us consider political differences a worthwhile price we pay to escape rule by a dictator or a powerful small group.

Nevertheless, we might consider showing more respect for those with whom we disagree. Those on opposite sides of happenings in Israel/Palestine or immigration across our southern border, for example, could set up groups to respectfully discuss differences rather than calling for riots or physical occupation of academic or political spaces. Before taking part in the discussions, individuals would pledge to follow time limits, refrain from insults, and listen respectfully.

The idea is to forge consensus after sincere and thoughtful discussion.

My College Protest Days

A long time ago, I took part in a college protest. I’m not proud of it. It wasn’t about civil rights or government policies or anything important.

We walked out of the college cafeteria in protest of the meals we considered less than they should be. Think of that. Across the land, students were protesting Vietnam and segregation and foreign policy. We were concerned that the food didn’t taste that great.

Our political processes should always be under our scrutiny. Protests are a right of Americans, but I think they should be far down on the list of civic responses. I am against activities which shut down schools and civic institutions. I accept that I may be wrong. After all, some may point to times when protests led to changes. However, other ways also have led to changes.

I joined the walkout of my college years, quite frankly, because they were fun. If nothing else, they did bring us together. We were part of a group, and the actions gave us a sense of belonging. Of course, street gangs may give their participants such a sense of belonging.

I suggest that college students seriously concerned about Palestinians, or literary freedom, or other issues favor something I might call “teach-ins” or “learning days.” The idea is to set up safe places where students and others who are interested can share ideas. The rules would forbid harassment or destruction of property.

You could name it respectful learning, including a large dose of respectful listening.

Listening Versus Demonstrating

I have never been a fan of physical protests. When one side protests, people who believe the other way are apt to counter protest. We lose ourselves in a loud commotion in which all words are lost.

Perhaps a better way would be listening to each other. Perhaps groups could set up “listening areas.” People could gather to talk, not protest. They would agree to respect the other’s words, even if they disagreed with them. The main activity would be talking to each other. A time limit would be set on the amount of time for each talker.

Some might begin to write down the ideas that develop. The words could be examined.
Some might feel called to find common points among the differing ideas and develop those common ideas.

Protests are an American way of life, but talking/listening seem to me a better practice.

Unfortunately, He Became Successful

Many a good person, movement, or religion has been ruined by success.

Success can be a worthy reward for hard work and creativity. Success can grant influence and even power to a person (or a movement or a civic group). Without careful shepherding of that power, however, it may become destructive pride.

A fancy name for this transformation is “hubris,” too much self confidence. The Jews knew the proverb that says “pride goeth before destruction.”

In one of his talks, Christ said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Meek? That’s a word we associate with a low-life, modeled by Uriah Heep in Charles Dickens’ novel, David Copperfield.

However, a French translation of meek uses the word debonair, more likely to mean courteous or cheerful. Successful people who are meek know their success doesn’t mean they are superior to others. It means they are blessed. Further they understand their calling to use their blessings to bless others, not use them as things.

Americans are tempted to hubris. The United States has done exceptional things over the years, like giving opportunities to refugees and allowing space for small entrepreneurs to create. Yet some things in our history should not have happened, like slavery and serious inequality between the wages of workers and owners.

Too much hubris and nations decline. Religions go through a cleansing, like Christ cleansing the temple.

People who assume they should be at the head of the table, may be called out to sit at the foot.

A Child of the Library

When I was growing up, my mother and I would go “downtown” to shop. That is, my mother would shop in stores, and I would head for the public library to shop for books to check out. That began my close and never-ending relationship with libraries.

Later when I worked for a few years in that same downtown, I tended to spend many of my lunch hours reading books in the library I had visited as a child. Then, as I visited libraries in other cities where I lived, the library remained an important part of my life. That included the closest one to my home.

Today, the divisions between Americans have found their way into our libraries. We quarrel as to which books should be in our libraries, especially in the children’s sections. The strong divisions between adults now include divisions as to what children should be allowed to read about the topics that so divide older Americans.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that public libraries, free to all, rich and poor alike, are one of the western world’s great inventions. May they always be a free resource for the community. May everyone know the pleasure and worth of being able to read and have resources from which to read and learn.

Perhaps a better way to handle controversial issues is for parents and children to begin early to discuss books. A visit to the library can mean helping young children find books that interest them as well as setting up discussions about different books the child chooses and why they like them. The parent should keep in mind that eventually, of course, a child will grow to an age where they will be able to read whatever they choose. If parents spend time with their children when their children are growing, the children will most likely carry what they have learned and practiced into their teenage and adult years. At some point, they must be trusted to make their own choices.

The ability for parents and their children to freely discuss any topic and search for information about it can become a wonderful contribution to raising those children. It also can allow libraries to become places of enjoyment and learning, as it was when I was growing up.

New Journey Fear

Sometimes when things I’ve prayed for actually happen, I’ve found joy, of course, but I’m also surprised by the fear that lurks as well. This was the case when I finally realized my dream of starting a journey to a new job allowing me to work and live in a foreign country, something I’d wanted to do since I had read books in my childhood about other countries.
A diary I kept of my first overseas travel shows my ambivalence:
“Picture, if you will: I’m checking in at JFK Airport for the first international flight of my life. They are asking me things like:
‘Who packed your luggage?’ ‘Who does your luggage belong to?’ ‘Has your luggage ever been out of your sight?’ ‘Has anyone given you anything to take with you?’ I decide the encouraging letter my Christian friends gave me before the journey is not the sort of thing they are talking about and refrain from mentioning it.
“The questions do not allay the nervousness I’m beginning to experience—my stomach feels funny . . .We board the plane. The pilot announces that we are going to be delayed by ‘slight’ maintenance problems. I wish he would be more specific. Then again, maybe I don’t.
“Finally, we take off. . .. I cannot see anything except a tiny bit of the wing . . .I remember being told that the tail section is the safest place to be.
“When we are safely airborne, the pilot comes on to announce that we are going to be in Frankfort one-half hour sooner than planned because of a hyperactive jet stream. That, he says, is the good news. The bad news is that we will experience some turbulence.” Both predictions prove true.
Looking back over my diary now, I think about what lay ahead. Fortunately, it included a safe trip all the way to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, my first Foreign Service post. I did manage to pick up the wrong luggage at one of the stops on the way. We corrected this, not only to my relief, but no doubt to the relief of the woman whose luggage I had mistakenly grabbed (it was the same color as mine.) She was coming to visit her husband in the military, preparing for the Desert Storm invasion of Iraq.
This happened to be right before the beginning of that first war with Iraq in 1990. Needless to say, it proved to be an interesting time to be in Saudi Arabia. Thankfully, I made close friends and grew in my Christian faith during this time. Believe me, I did grow.
Looking over that time now, I think about the saying attributed to Otto von Bismark: “There is a Providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children and the United States of America.” Providence certainly protected the child that was me and my need to learn and grow, despite my childish ignorance.
I think I can say that for me following what I believed to be God’s will has ranged from enabling to terrifying to, ultimately, a newer understanding of grace and care.
Because I really needed that grace and care.

Testimony by Jon Ward

Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation by Jon Ward is a heart- felt indictment of certain aspects of conservative American churches during the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Growing up in that period, Ward was raised by his family in a conservative evangelical church culture. During that period, many sincere Christians, like the Jesus Movement people of the time, believed God would lead America to a time of justice for “the poor, the weak, the unborn, the neglected, and the downtrodden.” Unfortunately, churches like the one Ward was raised in did not pay enough attention to the ever present temptation to power by a few leaders, as happens when any movement gains strength.

Submission to God, Ward states, is a noble intention. However, a traditional anti-intellectual stance meant that some Christians of this time rejected the place of the mind in their religion. “The call to surrender to God was used to strong arm me and my peers into accepting, without question, what we were told by adults.”

While fighting against abortion, some did not pay enough attention to “fighting for the welfare of the born, for those who made it out of the womb, and into a world of poverty, suffering, and systemic injustice.”

The sincere desire for authentic religious experience is a noble pursuit. However, Ward points out, in his own life, too much emphasis on an emotional experience can encourage a faith that becomes a “self-centered, consumeristic, emotion-focused pursuit.”

In his conclusion, Ward states: “seeking truth alone is not enough. Truth must be accompanied by love.”

Only White Men

April 4, 1949: NATO

The founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is surely one of the world’s successes. After the carnage of centuries of warfare in Europe, European nations and the United States bound themselves in an association of mutual protection. Now, instead of wars among themselves, Europe and the U.S. have enjoyed decades of peace and economic growth.

However, much has changed in other ways, bringing us new challenges.

Examine the picture of eleven people surrounding President Harry S. Truman as he signs the Washington Treaty, forming NATO. Every one in the picture appears to be a white male.

Today such a picture would surely include women and non-white representatives. The left out people today are more likely to include those left behind by poverty, lack of family responsibility, and poor educational skills.

Much effort was invested in changing our society to allow better chances for those not represented in that treaty picture. We need efforts today in taking care of our current left out people.

Who are today’s left out? Children in desperate situations, with no caring adults. Teenagers who, for whatever reason, struggle with not belonging. Young people who need a sense of purpose strong enough to avoid drugs and ill-advised relationships. Women with young children who lack the resources to care for them. Americans who have fallen prey to easy fixes and need support to escape the drug culture.

We are one of the wealthiest nations the world has ever known. Resources to deal with our citizens’ needs is not the issue. The issue is the use of a just portion of our resources to meet those needs.

West Bank August 2001

A clipping I cut out of a newspaper shows a little boy about five or so, his face scowling, waving a toy rifle. He is dressed in a children’s set of army fatigues. The caption states:

“A Palestinian boy holds a plastic gun as he steps on an Israeli flag with ‘Death to Israel’ written on it in Arabic during a demonstration against the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territories in the West Bank town of Ramallah Friday . . .”

The date of the newspaper is August, 2001. Almost a quarter of a century ago, as the picture evidences, places in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank showcased similar problems besetting those areas as today. I wonder what that young boy is like now, at about 28 years old, perhaps, if he’s still alive.

What kind of adults will the children of the West Bank, Israel, and Gaza have become twenty years from now? To pick one side or the other in this part of the world as either the guilty perpetrator or the innocent victim is a futile exercise. You can, if you want, place blame on Palestinians, Israelis, Americans, Europeans, and, no doubt, others. We could certainly go back to the Nazi’s, or the pogroms for centuries against Jews, or the European conquest of lands in the Near East in the past century or two. Add others, then take your pick. Finding villains is easy.

Should we despair? Listen to Desmond Tutu, leader of South Africa’s struggle to free itself from European control: “Peace comes when you talk to the guy you most hate.” (The Atlantic, 2009.)

Seeking and Finding

Back in 1986, I wrote in answer to a letter from a family member:

“I seem to be suffering a lot of the same things you are, i.e., periodic depression, wondering what I’m good for and other cheerful things like that. . .

“I feel wasted. I have so many blessings, and feel I’m not doing much with them . . .I go every day to work in front of a little computer screen instead of using my writing, somehow, in this world.”

Then I mentioned the many ways I had searched for a more interesting job but had not found one.

Finally, I talked about what comforted me at that moment. In the New Testament book of Acts (chapter 16), Paul talks about how he and his companions tried to carry their missionary work to two places, but had been prevented from doing so. I commented: “They must have wondered about this time what in the world they were supposed to do. Then Paul had his vision of the man from Macedonia, and they concluded that they were being led to Macedonia. They went there and had a very fruitful ministry, albeit a challenging one.”

I continued: “I have decided to make the most of my time while waiting.” I mentioned tasks I was finishing to get ready for when I would find the work I was supposed to do.

Eventually, of course, I was able to become an officer with the U.S. Foreign Service and was able to travel and live in the Middle East for several years, which had so interested me earlier. I’m now able to use those experiences in the writing I do.

God may answer a person’s prayers in many different ways than God answered mine. Perhaps some may find a renewed interest in tasks that earlier bored them. They may find renewed possibilities, new attitudes.

The point is, I kept preparing, studying, learning. If I had died without my new vocation, the time would not have been wasted, but would have produced growth.

Jesus told his followers: “Ask and it will be given you. Search and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened for you.” (Matthew 7:7, NRSV.)

 

Tracing the Rainbow

Here’s the blurb for my newest book on Amazon:

Mark Pacer, a U.S. diplomat serving at the American consulate in Montreal, Canada, is called to the scene of an American citizen killed in a traffic accident. On closer inspection, Mark realizes the death was not an accident but a carefully planned murder. Who wanted his death? And are they also searching for the murdered man’s wife, Clair Bancroft? Mark, a widower with two small children, finds himself increasingly attracted to Clair. But what is she hiding? What is the reason she and her husband fled to Canada? And is the murderer a threat not only to Clair but to Mark as well? Who stalks them, even as their friendship continues?

Here’s the cover and more details:

Tracing the Rainbow

Tracing the Rainbow

FIC042100 Fiction/Christian/Contemporary

FIC022070 Fiction/Mystery & Detective/Cozy/General

FIC045000 Fiction/Family Life/General

FIC037000 Fiction/Political

 

Publisher: Redemption Press (February 12, 2024)
Publication date: February 12, 2024

Alexei Navalny’s Death

The death was widely reported and commented on:

“Alexei Navalny, leader of Russia’s opposition, was killed in jail by the regime on February 16th, aged 47.” (“Obituary Alexei Navalny: Better Russia, where are you?” The Economist, February 14th 2024)

Russell Moore, “What a Murdered Russian Dissident Can Teach Us About Moral Courage,” Christianity Today, February 21, 2024.

Moore, in his column, tied Navalny’s death to the death of other Christian martyrs. “Before the world forgets the corpse of Alexei Navalny in the subzero environs of an Arctic penal colony, we ought to look at him—especially those of us who follow Jesus Christ—to see what moral courage actually is.”

Interesting that Navalny’s courage and comfort and purpose was increased by his Christian faith. Safe to say that many, perhaps most of the dissidents against Putin’s Russia, are not Christians.

Also, Putin and many of his supporters say they are Christians, too. Indeed, some of them oversee Christian churches.

One of the temptations we Christians experience is the temptation to betray our calling by the need to belong. Why do regimes like Putin’s put people in solitary places like Siberia? Often in solitary confinement?

Perhaps those who most suffer for Christ are those who suffer alone. Take a Christian away, not only from family but from Christian community, and they become increasingly vulnerable.

Yet the bedrock of Christian belief is based on Christ carrying out his marvelous work of suffering and redemption when alone—after the disciples had fled.

Christian community, from the beginning, has comforted and grown us in our Christian faith. It is a bedrock of Christian growth. Yet, ultimately, it isn’t the most important piece of our Christian faith. The most important is the indefinable friendship with Christ our brother.

The Neighborhood

Do you live in a neighborhood? A block or two or three where you know the neighbors’ names, perhaps even some of their interests?

A long time ago, before I was old enough to even attend school, I remember when neighbors would come over to visit after supper. We lived in an older suburb, and in the hot summer, the adults sat on porch chairs and talked. I listened, perched on a step. In colder weather, they gathered in our living room, and I listened, sprawled on the floor, next to my mom’s chair.

I don’t have a lot of memory of what they talked about—possibly about current events, like what the Soviets were doing in Europe. Or maybe they talked about elections or the growing student population in the local elementary school. Maybe they argued—surely they had different opinions about the world—but I remember the atmosphere as being collegial and—well, neighborly.

After a few years, the neighborly chats stopped. Not because of any disagreements or bad feelings. They stopped because people began staying home to watch the new invention called television.

Maybe portable phones and other electronic devices have merely increased what is inevitable. We’re able to do more and more without leaving home or taking time for personal contact with actual people. Banking, communicating, entertainment—we do all these activities more often without leaving our homes.

Certainly, Americans without good jobs may live in crowded conditions—or even on the street—but typical middle class Americans live less and less with families or friends. Yes, some of us do have active social lives, but families are smaller, less of us are involved in the local school, the children tend to leave while still in their teens, and more of us live alone. Even our communication tends to be impersonal—often over the computer. And actual visits to neighbors become rare for many of us.

It’s supposed to be an advantage to take care of banking and bills and other transactions from the comfort of our homes. But it means we meet less and less with others even when performing these chores.

What spaces are left for humans to actually meet in person? Some of us still work in offices or visit shopping centers. Children still need teachers. Political meetings may include in person attendance—but often include electronic attendees as well. Those of us attending religious services may still be more likely to do so in person, although the Covid pandemic increased meetings via the internet.

It’s perfectly all right, of course, to seek ways to “save” time. Busy parents, often working, need all the help they can get to have time for their families.

Nevertheless, the idea of neighborhood has become, for many of us, a foreign concept.

Sisterhood: Faith and Uncertainty

As an adolescent, I struggled with questions many young people face. What vocation was I going to choose? What kind of man did I want to marry? And, as a daughter of a church-active family, when did I know I was a Christian?

I was blessed with loving parents and an older brother, but my father, to whom I was close, died when I was thirteen. I don’t remember questioning God about why he should die. Part of my family’s life had included going to “funeral homes” and staying for a while to comfort the grieving. Visiting wasn’t particularly scary. The adults visited and reminisced and laughed a lot. Death was just a part of the community’s life.

What I missed was certainty. I wanted to know I was a Christian. Yes, I remember a time when I was nine or ten when I had a quiet but sudden “quickening,” a feeling of knowing God’s presence. Probably God comes on many of us that way.

No doubt I was influenced by growing up in an age of revival meetings. Perhaps I assumed a coming together with God had to be through a revival type experience. We Christians, believers in a future life, nevertheless are sometimes victimized by ways that moved mightily in the past but may be past their prime. We forget that Christ’s religion is forward-going. Past ways fit some but can, if we aren’t careful, close us to new ways.

Jesus met so many different people. All of them were individuals. They chose the way he preached, then went on to help others know Him. Mary and Martha, Peter and Paul, missionaries and, later, food bank operators, food servers and teachers—the list is endless, and it’s all individual in the ways we meet and serve. As Christians, we have this forward life—we have never arrived, but that is good. If we understand that we’ve never arrived, we are wary about giving complete allegiance to any human movement or allow ourselves to be stuck in past gear.

Secular Times: Best for Christians?

“Although some religious conservatives warn that the retreat from faith will lead to a collapse of social cohesion and public morality, the evidence doesn’t support this claim. As unexpected as it may seem, countries that are less religious actually tend to be less corrupt and have lower murder rates than the more religious ones.” (Ronald F. Inglehart, “Giving Up on God; The Global Decline of Religion,” Foreign Affairs, September/October 2020)

Inglehart cites several factors in the noticeable decline of religion in the United States and other developed societies.

One is the greater security people may feel when their material needs are more easily met. They don’t feel a need to depend on a divine being to protect them from material want.

Also, as gender and sexual norms are relaxed, religion becomes less important in enforcing those norms.

However, Christianity began in the more secular society of the Roman empire. The Roman empire was fairly moderate in terms of religious freedom, so long as no religion advocated the overthrow of Rome.

Jesus taught his disciples not to worry about material things but to be more concerned about seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness. He did not, however, seem to forbid wealth in itself and even enjoyed fellowship with some who were well-off.

Though the early Christian communities taught care of the poor, some of the early Christians were well-off and shared their wealth. They also included the learned, like the apostle Paul.

The attraction to the religion of Christ has, throughout the centuries, included those who care for the poor, such as many religious communities in the Middle Ages. Material support for these communities often came from the well-off.

Christianity often spreads through a minority, but a minority that encourages practices that benefit society as a whole. In America, some Christians advocated for the abolition of slavery. Others advocated for universal access to education. Still others began missionary societies that cared for the poor and the sick even as they evangelized.

A belief in the worth of all people also contributed to the growth of more democratic forms of government.

Christianity is not necessarily limited in ultimate results by being a minority.

Religion, including Christianity, can be corrupted. Yet, throughout the centuries, each failure within the Christian community has birthed a minority who not only overcame the failures but found new ways to grow.

I Owe It All to Boredom

As a child, I was frequently bored. School was especially tiresome. Not all of it, of course. I enjoyed recess and music. Also lunch.

However, much of the time in my elementary school days I was bored: Listening to a rehash of things I’d already learned. Having to sit for long periods. Working out long division (without a calculator.)

I coped by daydreaming. I invented stories and went on adventures to desert islands and galloped on ponies across the prairie.

Once in a while a teacher caught me up short with a question suddenly directed at me, but most of the time they were lenient. Since my grades were okay, their wisdom must have included letting a bored child grow her imagination by drifting.

My ability to drift, to imagine, has served me well in adulthood. Working on a storyline for a novel? Just start writing, even if I have only a faint glimmer of the story, and eventually the process is likely to kick off an aha moment.

I don’t think my imagination would be nearly as developed, including my fiction, if I hadn’t often been bored as child.

Political Religion

In his book Bad Religion, Ross Douthat states: “Using the Word of God to support political causes has long marred Christianity.”

The interplay between Christianity and politics has long been discussed by both religious and secular thinkers. When Christianity began in the backwaters of the Roman Empire, it would hardly have been suspected of much influence. It came to the attention of Rome only after its rapid spread had disturbed the authorities by its devotion to another king, Jesus, called the Christ.

Few adherents of the new religion, however, advocated the overthrow of the Roman Empire. Indeed, the apostle Paul sometimes appealed to his Roman citizenship for protection. Roman roads meant the gospel could more easily be spread. Good government is indeed a blessing.

Roman authorities were mistaken in their belief that the Christianity of Jesus wished to overthrow the empire. When practiced, however, Christianity conquered the Roman empire, but by peaceful means. The government continued, but the practice of Christianity grew to become a major influence.

In its first few centuries, the interplay between government and religion continued. After Christianity became, not only tolerated, but ascendant, the temptation to use it for political purposes increased. However, the more that Christians attempted to use political power, the more they risked corruption.

Later, when religion and political power began to separate, Christianity grew. Those who chose a religion because they would be persecuted if they did not, now were free to leave. Many did. However, the new freedom meant that the remaining members were more committed to their faith. Their dedicated work drew in new members.

In areas like the southeastern United States (where I grew up), the general population was more “religious” in the sense of church membership. Religion became part of the general culture. That included a kind of civil religion.

For many, this meant choosing a political party which catered to religious beliefs. Even though you could choose your religion, you were more favorably accepted, including politically, if you were culturally Christian. Such societies, however, tend to ignore the hard parts of the gospel.

It’s not a coincidence that slavery and then segregation became embedded in southern culture, while the area was termed more “religious” than other parts of the nation.

However, it’s also not a coincidence that Christians have been among those fighting first slavery and then segregation. Stories are legion of southern children growing up in a segregated society who eventually took their Christianity so seriously that they become convinced that racial discrimination was terribly wrong.

The fact that such struggles continue should not surprise us. Those who take Christ seriously, while often a minority, often surprise us with the changes they ultimately birth.