Voorwaartse, Christelijke Militairen
Geschreven door Mark Van Steenwyk: 27 april, 2008
„Mijn grootvader vocht zodat wij dit gesprek konden hebben.“
Ik heb deze woorden (of hun equivalent) een dozijn keer na het delen van mijn pacifist overtuigingen gehoord. De veronderstelling is hier dat het voor me pacifist in Amerika gemakkelijk is te zijn. Toch ben ik vet en comfortabel, levend met de vrijheid te zeggen en te geloven wat ik wil. En voor me aan oefening is die vrijheid zodanig dat schijnbaar de offers van die in de strijdkrachten… goed negeert, dat duidelijke oneerbiedig.
Op dit punt in gesprek-bij dat punt wanneer mijn dialoogpartner heeft aangetoond dat mijn vrijheid op de offers van Amerikaan militair-i contingent is die worden gebruikt om mijn ogen te gieten beneden en te worstelen om woorden te vinden. Als ik met hen akkoord ging, ik niets verlaten had om te zeggen. If I disagreed with them, I was an America-hater. Niet akkoord gaan moest de vrijheid verwerpen die zij hebben beveiligd.
Wanneer de Amerikaanse Christenen de woorden „vrijheid“ gebruiken en de „vrijheid“ en „offert“ zij gewoonlijk zijn patriotic. Wanneer gevraagd of „offerde“ Jesus voor onze „vrijheid“ en „vrijheid“ zij snel… akkoord zouden gaan en geen conflict tussen de Amerikaanse betekenis van deze woorden en de Christelijke betekenis zouden zien. Indien gedrukt, zou ik veronderstellen dat de typische Amerikaanse Christen zou verklaren dat de Amerikaanse militairen voor onze fysieke of politieke vrijheid sterven. Jesus, echter, stierf voor onze geestelijke vrijheid. De laatste tijd had ik een gesprek over pacifism en iemand bracht het feit dat één ter sprake van hun verwanten voor mijn vrijheid vocht, antwoordde ik: “No, I don’t believe they did.” Then I went on to suggest that Christians always have the freedom to speak the truth of Christ. And even if they are imprisoned for speaking their convictions, they are no less free. This is what the New Testament teaches.
The only ones who sacrificed for my freedom are Jesus and the martyrs…all of those who suffer for the Faith. If by adopting pacifism I dishonor America’s soldiers, by renouncing pacifism I dishonor the blood of Christ and the martyrs.
At this point in a conversation, my dialog partner is likely to point out that it is “easy for me to believe this.” True. True. I believe that it is easier to be a pacifist in America than anywhere else. But that doesn’t believe my convictions are cheap. Many Christians have suffered for their nonviolent convictions. For them it was costly.
My Anabaptist fore bearers died for the right to put away the sword. They weren’t cowards. And they weren’t passive…at least not in the beginning. [By the way…despite popular beliefs, there is no linguistic tie between the words “pacifism” and “passive.” A “pacifist” is one who practices or makes peace. A peace maker. A peace-ist.] Many brave Christians have died throughout the ages turning the other cheek–laying down their lives so that Christ could be clearly revealed to the world. This is a greater sacrifice than that soldiers makes in service of their country. It is kingdom patriotism…laying down one’s life in the cause of Christ.
Making it Personal
Lately I’ve begun to realize that if I am to truly honor the sacrifices of my brothers and sisters throughout Church history, I too must be willing to lay down my life in the cause of Christ. I am compelled to no longer sit upon the sidelines. Instead, after a time of prayer and discernment, I’m going to serve as a Christian Peacemaker.
The Christian Peacemaker Teams launched as a response to a speech by Ron Sider. 1984, Sider challenged the Mennonite World Conference in Strasbourg, France with these words (which you can find here):
“Over the past 450 years of martyrdom, immigration and missionary proclamation, the God of shalom has been preparing us Anabaptists for a late twentieth-century rendezvous with history. The next twenty years will be the most dangerous—and perhaps the most vicious and violent—in human history. If we are ready to embrace the cross, God’s reconciling people will profoundly impact the course of world history . . . This could be our finest hour. Never has the world needed our message more. Never has it been more open. Now is the time to risk everything for our belief that Jesus is the way to peace. If we still believe it, now is the time to live what we have spoken.
“We must take up our cross and follow Jesus to Golgotha. We must be prepared to die by the thousands. Those who believed in peace through the sword have not hesitated to die. Proudly, courageously, they gave their lives. Again and again, they sacrificed bright futures to the tragic illusion that one more righteous crusade would bring peace in their time, and they laid down their lives by the millions.
“Unless we . . . are ready to start to die by the thousands in dramatic vigorous new exploits for peace and justice, we should sadly confess that we never really meant what we said, and we dare never whisper another word about pacifism to our sisters and brothers in those desperate lands filled with injustice. Unless we are ready to die developing new nonviolent attempts to reduce conflict, we should confess that we never really meant that the cross was an alternative to the sword . . . ”
The Christian Peacemaker Teams ask: “What would happen if Christians devoted the same discipline and self-sacrifice to nonviolent peacemaking that armies devote to war?” Like a Christian alternative to the military, hey are engaged in nonviolent resistance around the world. And I believe that joining them is my act of Kingdom Patriotism.
This fall, I’ll join a 2 week delegation (location undecided). After that, if they’ll have me, I’ll receive training and commit to at least 2 weeks of service a year for three years. Several others at Missio Dei are considering similar service.
In the future, Jesus Manifesto will be sharing the stories and struggles of peacemakers around the world. I’m convinced that in these violent times, Christian everywhere need to take a stand for peace. We need to be peacemakers, not people who enjoy the peace that the State offers as we sit on the sidelines. And so, I encourage you to think about the ways in which you and your communities can stand against violence and pursue peace.
Peace is needed in my neighborhood as well as in Palestine. Our community is exploring ways of fostering peace in our neighborhood…through increased hospitality, through friendship, and through service. In the end, the freedom we are pursuing for our neighbors (both at home and abroad) is the freedom found in Christ. The freedom that comes from democracy, while beneficial, is paltry compared to the abundant freedom we have in Christ. The liberty praised by the Declaration of Independence is worthwhile, but it is nothing compared to the liberty that comes from the Spirit is priceless. And both are possible through the sacrifice of Christ. And both are advanced through the suffering of the saints.
Mark Van Steenwyk is the editor of JesusManifesto.com. He is a Mennonite pastor (Missio Dei in Minneapolis), writer, speaker, and grassroots educator. He and his wife Amy have been married since 1997. They are expecting their first child in April.
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