With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Featured, Social Justice — By Peter Almon on October 28, 2010 at 11:22 amWith recent calls by influential politico-religious leader Glenn Beck to abandon churches that promote social justice
and warnings from the FDA that one’s eggs could be tainted with salmonella, many Westerners are reexamining brands. Those in the church are rethinking their local brand of Christianity and their faith’s promotion of social justice and responsibility in the midst of a resource-rich West (see Evangelical Social Conscience, The Gospel of Wealth, Young Christians Seek Intentional Community among the Poor). Many are exploring whether their promotion of the power edifices that enable and promote the “American Dream” are compatible with the Kingdom of God. Such questioning generates startling self-reflection: Has the “Christian Nation” unwittingly become the unjust Israel that the prophets pronounced woes against?
The West is prosperous and powerful, often regarded as “blessed by God.” In other words – those of Spiderman’s sage Uncle Ben – “With great power comes great responsibility.” How have Christians in the West, the United States in particular, wielded such a lofty burden of responsibility? If Glenn Beck’s recent advice (see Glenn Beck’s Advice on ‘Social Justice’ Churches Sparks Outrage) is indicative of the prevailing sentiment, then they have unwittingly allowed the burden to flatten them. This situation begs an equally important question: How has the current state of material “blessedness” been achieved? If the wealth and resources available in the United States have been attained on the backs of the poor and disenfranchised, can Christians honestly attribute such wealth to God’s blithe providence?
As Christians in the West we have encumbered ourselves with social prosperity. In the midst of such prosperity, God’s call to social justice (see Leviticus 25), has atrophied in our ears. We have committed a woeful lapse in orthopraxis (right practice). This lapse has viciously infected Western Christian orthodoxy (right belief). Many Christians and political leaders wield the Christian faith as a weapon for obtaining and maintaining political dominance and the imperial dominance of the United States. Glenn Beck recognizes social justice as a threat to the power structure that supports his anti-biblical myth of the “American Dream.”
Christ said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” However, throughout his ministry, Jesus advocates for the physically and economically oppressed (i.e. the socially oppressed). Thus, the idea that social justice is a poisonous arm of the liberal leftist agenda is propaganda. And this piece of propaganda is made all the more persuasive by political leaders, such as Glenn Beck, who couch their political agenda in spiritual terms or who take the guise of a spiritual leader as Beck did during his recent rally. Furthermore, since Christ’s “kingdom is not of this world”, Christians should be concerned when they see the leaders of a terrestrial political affiliation such as Beck aligning their political cause with Christian spirituality. Social justice is neither of the left nor the right. It is of God and is expressed in His concern for the oppressed in both the Old Testament and New. Social and spiritual justice and freedom are God’s desire for his creation.
All of this may receive copious “Amen!”s and “Preach it!”s, especially from readers who support social justice. Yet, how have proponents of social justice faired in practice? The allure of the American dream is often subtle. A world view paradigm shift is required if we are to overcome its malign allure. If not, the Christian, even the proponent of social justice, will be tempted to compartmentalize and dichotomize his or her practice of social justice. For example, one may enthusiastically march for the freedom of one group while simultaneously condemning another group by marching in shoes that an enslaved child constructed.
I consider myself a proponent of social justice. As such, I often fight such compartmentalization when I shop for manufactured goods such as clothing. I attempt to be as frugal with my money as I can possibly be. After all, frugality and “good stewardship” are Christian virtues, right? Stewardship is one concept that Christians, even Christians in support of social justice, must relearn. If stewardship is equal to frugality, then Ebenezer Scrooge is patron saint of all good stewards. Yet, Saint Ebenezer was miserly and frugal at the expense of another’s life. Good stewardship must not only take the monetary cost of the product into account, it must also factor the cost of human life and the cost of the environment. One does not merely buy a pair of pants: one either promotes or discourages structures and cycles of marginalization and inequity.
As a Christian unwittingly enmeshed in a narrative of capitalism, I must painstakingly scrutinize my every impulse. I must pray fervently for God to lovingly dissect from me those selfish tendencies that lead to the injustice of others. This is an excruciating process fraught with disappointing failure, yet flowing with the touch of God’s restoring grace. It is a process that, I believe, is not only desirable, but necessary for a Christian who desires to bear the name of Christ with integrity.
As Christians who support the justice of the marginalized and oppressed, we must not only react with justifiable anger toward those who, either in their ignorance or malignance, contribute to the oppression of the oppressed. We must also earnestly pursue and develop a greater awareness of how our own daily choices contribute to such oppression. We must recognize and weep over our own impoverished nature that lustily encumbers the feet of the oppressed with the chains of our hungry greed.
I pray that God would give us all a greater understanding of our influence locally and globally. I pray that we would praise God where we have succeeded and repent where we have failed. Finally, I pray that as Christians, as proponents of social justice, we would act and live and shape our lives according to this understanding.
12 Comments
I loved this. Christians do a lot of horrible things, and I know I do my fair share, but trying to act like the Bible doesn’t command us to take care of the poor? Don’t understand how anyone can justify that.
Emily: Glenn Beck belongs in the pro-wrestling ring, not a news commentator’s chair. He is a master at entertainment and manipulation. The tragic danger is that his viewers believe he’s real. He’s an entertainer. He doesn’t need a platform. He needs hair extensions, a wrestling belt and a shiny robe. And he needs someone to knock him down and sit on him.
Emily, it baffles my mind. Although, Glen Beck’s tack is not novel. People throughout history have preempted the text of the Bible to suit their ends. As Susan illustrates, Beck is an entertainer: He thrives on flagrancy. Beck is a product of the blending of Christianity and American nationalism, and he is a child of the Enlightenment. He believes in the promotion of US agendas above the care of the individual. He believes in utter agency of humankind; the “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” mentality (which, in general, is a social and physical impossibility–I’ve tried). Such paradigms are at odds with the text of the Bible and historical Christianity.
The scary thing is that Beck isn’t by any means alone in his opinion (He just happens to be the most visible). There is a growing divide in the Christian West between those who believe Christianity is merely a code of personal morality (as I believe Beck does) and between those who believe Christianity has much more to say concerning a Christians relationship and responsibility to his neighbor.
Peter, can I quote you? I have been having a discussion about Beck with my family who are in love with him, and think he is some kind of prophet from God. They can’t understand why I don’t support him. I really like what you said, I think they should hear it.
Emily, it is hard having those discussions with family. But those are really good and necessary talks. Feel free to use any of the ideas I talk about, but don’t feel like you need to quote me. Those ideas aren’t really original with me. Thanks for your comments and compliments. They mean a lot.
Let us remember that Beck is also a Mormon. What I want to know is why are so many self proclaimed Christians allowing a Mormon to tell them what the Bible says?
Huh. I hadn’t heard that. I don’t know how it affects my thinking, but it is kinda interesting I hadn’t heard it before…
decent article, but you lost me at “imperial dominance of the United States.”
Thanks, xdes. By maintaining “imperial dominance,” I mean the means and the extent to which the US acts to maintain its status as “super power” in the world (e.g. by maintaining global interests in oil and commodities to the extent that it often harms and subverts welfare of individuals of other nations). Many Christians who view America as a blessed (economically, materially, etc.) nation fail to realize that America’s wealth was and is often achieved by means that Christ would condemn. Beck is against social justice (in part, anyway) because it subverts these imperial interests of the US. But, if there is one thing the Gospel is, it is subversive to the status quo.
Thanks Peter, I certainly agree with what you’ve said. But, I know from my personal experience, these constant concerns over – how does my purchase of shoes, food, clothing, etc. – leave me mentally exhausted. I try to buy fair trade food where available, I do research into the companies I typically buy from, but am always undone at that time when I’ve run out of mental energy — Ohhh, that Tommy Hilfiger shirt is on sale for 50% off!. I love your point that we can’t in one breath be preaching that we need to help the poor and in the next breath support the systems that enslave so many, yet how does one truely live above that? In Canada, there aren’t really true alternatives beyond making all of my own clothes, but then how were the fabrics manufactured? How were they shipped?
I wonder if this is one of those situations where we need to be vigilant, and yet remember that we recieve Jesus when we betray him.
Jim, thanks much for your comments.
I guess the ideas I present in the article are lofty, but I don’t think they are intangible or impracticable or unachievable. Henri Nouwen wrote, “People who read your ideas tend to think that your writings reflect your life.” I agree with him. I certainly am not innocent of often making decisions (consciously or unconsciously) that support and perpetuate unjust systems. I think that is part of the reality of being a Christian who is not yet fully redeemed in a word awaiting redemption. This reality doesn’t excuse my actions; it forces me to bow before the throne of God to seek mercy for the injustice I’ve committed.
We exist in the reality of a global economy. It’s nearly impossible to know much of the time if the product you are consuming has been justly produced. This is why we must pray for the wisdom to make wise decisions, the wisdom that, according to Saint James, God gives freely.
We will fail in making just choices. But, we serve a gracious God who has already forgiven us. However, the reality of our future failure does not negate our present obligation. It is like Jesus’ admonition to “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” I have failed miserably in that too, but I have been made perfect and righteous by Jesus, and so I continue to live according to the nature of who I am in Christ regardless of probable future sins and failures.
I really like what you wrote; this is definitely “one of those situations where we need to be vigilant, and yet remember that we receive Jesus when we betray him.”