A Preferential Option for the Poor: Reading Paul as Liberation Theology #30daysofPaul

Before we dig into our second reading, I want to address where I'm coming from, what lenses I'm primarily reading Paul through. I do this for your benefit, so you may understand what I'm writing, and for my own benefit, so that I can hash it out a little and provide some coherence to the next 29 days.

At this infantile stage of my Christian education and development, I consider myself primarily concerned with Liberation Theology. I hesitate to label myself liberation theologian, out of either respect for all those who have written and taught so prophetically about liberation, or fear of taking on such a mantel as a young, white, privileged, middle class straight male. I am the epitome of what most liberation theology focuses on as the power from which much liberation frees the oppressed and marginalized from.

However, I think all people are in need of liberation, regardless of their age or race or nationality or gender or gender identity or social class or religion. We are all held in thrall and oppression to something, and we are all called to spread to liberation to others. I believe strongly that Jesus preached liberation, drawing on the liberation rhetoric of early Jewish prophets; that his disciples and apostles carried that banner of liberation to the poor and oppressed masses across the Roman world; that the subsequent two thousand years has seen much oppression and injustice and shameful actions by Christians against others, but has also been rife with an ever widening net of liberation for more and more people.

Three of the biggest influences on my particular brand of theology and Christianity are Bishop Oscar Romero, Dr. James Cone and Gustavo Gutierrez. Cone's "A Black Theology of Liberation" changed the way I think about Christianity like few over books have. Gutierrez's "The God of Life" had a similar effect. I believe Romero to be the ultimate martyr and example for the liberation movement, specifically in his transformation from an ultra-conservative defender of the status quo, to protector, leader and liberator of the oppressed masses of El Salvador. His death at the Lord's Table, serving Communion while being gunned down by American-trained commandos, is a defining moment for the liberation theology, as it brought to light that any claim to Christianity by the powers-that-be is always contingent upon the subjection and subservience of Christianity, and as soon as that faith begins to assert itself, to liberate itself from the shackles of the world, the powers will inevitably use violence and force to attempt to chain it again.

I am making a conscious effort to read Paul this month from a viewpoint of liberation, through the lens of Gutierrez's "preferential option for the poor." I want to cultivate this line of thinking in myself, to earn the title one day of liberation theologian. I am to use the language of liberation in my exegesis of Paul, to hopefully enrich my readers here by helping you see the words of Paul and how they contribute to a faith that liberates all who are oppressed, as Jesus liberated his followers from the rat race of empire two thousand years ago. Because, as Dr. Cone writes, "Any message that is not related to the liberation of the poor in a society is not Christ's message. Any theology that is indifferent to the theme of liberation is not Christian theology."

The Sermon on the Mount in Our World, Part 7: Blessed are the Peacemakers

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." -Matthews 5:9

The dove represents the Holy Spirit. The sword, spear, pruning hook and plowrepresents Isaiah 2:4 "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears intopruning hooks." The olive branch and olives represent peace.

American history pop quiz:

Since World War II, what is the longest the United States has gone without engaging in a military action?

No cheating. Think about it.

OK, give up? Eight years. From 1953, the end of Korea, to 1961, with the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Korea started in 1950, five years after the end of WWII. Vietnam ran from 1964 to 1973. 1980 was the botched attempt at saving the hostages in Iran. We were in Lebanon from 1982 to 1984, Grenada in 1983, and Panama in 1989. Then the Persian Gulf conflict in 1990. Somalia was 1992, Haiti was 1994, and various involvements in the Balkans lasted from 1995 until 1999. After 9/11, we went into Afghanistan and Iraq, and two-and-a-half years ago, we sent troops into Libya.

It has been a little over 72 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, in December of 1941. America has been involved in an armed conflict for 47 of those 72 years.

Is this what a Christian nation looks like?

Jesus' blessing of the peacemakers in the world is the easiest one to relate to the modern political world. Jesus' whole message of love and service to others revolves around the idea of being peaceful. Jesus addresses it multiple times. He urges us to turn the other cheek, to put away our sword, to love our enemies.

Jesus' world was a very violent world. Rome conquered all of the Mediterranean basin and Europe through the power and efficiency of it's armies. The people of Israel were one of those overrun by the legions, the latest in a long line of violent takeovers of their country. They believed the only way to free their nation from the yoke of Rome was through a violent uprising, led by a warrior-king Messiah, in the model of David, the greatest warrior-king of all.

So violence was ingrained in the people of Palestine. Which makes Jesus' blessing of peacemakers, his shunning of violence as a way to lead his people, all the more amazing. How in the world would they ever escape the clutches of Rome, if not through a war? How would turning the other cheek, or loving you enemy, make this happen?

We see the same mindset today. Many people believe the only way America can maintain its place in the world, the only way our lifestyle can be sustained, is through force and a willingness to use that force at any time to protect our interest. In the face of terrorism and radicalism across the world, they don't see how America has any choice but to counter with violence and rule by fear.

And we've maintained that over the last 73 years by using our armed forces to impose our will on the people's of the world. We've appointed ourselves the world's police, and used both conventional and unconventional warfare to maintain the status quo and snuff out anything we don't like.

America has become a country of perpetual war.

We are a country that scoffs at the idea of compromise, of international action and unity, of dialogue with nations we disagree with, of mistrust for other countries. We throw around our weight, use bluster and hubris in our relations, and incite fear and hatred in foreign peoples through our military presence and tendency to use that military to advance our interests at the expense of the rights of other peoples to choose their leaders and policies.

And we have the gall to call ourselves a "Christian nation?"

"Realists" look at the idea peace and shake their heads knowingly. Naivety, they think. Peace sounds great, but its not realistic, right? Talking to other nations solves no problems, only buys the bad guys time. The UN and arms reductions and treaties all sound good in theory, but any SERIOUS THINKER knows that stuff is all unrealistic, and yes, naive.

And therein lies the radical nature of Jesus' call for peacemakers. Jesus understood then what we still have failed to grasp now. Jesus looked at the long line of "messiahs" who had led his people before, and saw a line of men who were crushed in their rebellions by the overwhelming force of Rome. He realized that the use of violence was hopeless. And so he taught them what it would take: peace. Love. Understanding. Nonviolence.

It's a message we need to take to heart today. Instead of throwing our weight around, of using our force to impose our will, of ruling with fear and causing anger, what if we led with peace? What if we relied on our statesmen, on the UN and treaties, and trust? What if we allowed other peoples to determine their own path, to pick their leaders and style of government and policies? What if we stood for universal human rights and freedom and religious liberty and equality everywhere, and abandoned those who ruled with a closed fist and persecuted their people? Imagine the world we would live in. And imagine the high regard we would have around the world.

We revere peacemakers in history. Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Dr. King, Bishop Romero, Mother Teresa. And we look for them in our time as well. Think of the Orthodox priests in Ukraine a few weeks ago, standing between the clashing lines of protestors and police in Kiev. OR Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, who for decades has tried to bring democracy and peace to her country.

As followers of Christ, we have a duty to oppose conflict and violence anywhere is arises. We must stand against the use of force to settle differences, no matter the reason. Jesus in his example showed us the path of nonviolence. Even at the point when one would think violence was most warranted, in the Garden when the guards show up to arrest Jesus and take him to his death, he implores his disciples to put away their swords.

It is impossible to live out Jesus' requirements for our lives if we make violence a part of our lives. You cannot practice love and forgiveness and mercy and acceptance if you are practicing violence. The ideas are fundamental opposites.

And the transformative thing about peace and nonviolence, the thing Jesus showed us, is that if we each sincerely practice it in our own lives, it will spread! If we are peaceful to those around us, and to the world around us, it will rub off on others, and begin to spread. If we show love for others and accept them, they will feel compelled to live the same. And eventually it will spread to our institutions, to our governments, across the planet.

We Christians knew this once. We spent the better part of three centuries practicing peace and spreading it across the Mediterranean. And then, we got sidetracked. Constantine decided to use Christianity as his standard in battle, and we bought in. We liked the feeling it gave us to be the one's in power now, the ones wielding the sword, rather than those feeling it's bite. And we've been off track ever since, trying to equate Christ with battle and armies and guns and a violent culture. Everything He was against. Everything He taught us not to be.

Now, in America, Christianity has stood behind preemptive wars. It has been used to add a sheen on respectability to assassinations and torture and coups. It has been enveloped in our gun culture, wrapped around armed revolution and the need to use violence to "protect" one's self.

It's our duty to return Christianity to its original form. Jesus showed us that nonviolence would protect us, would make us respected, would make us leaders. We have a duty to show to world again what He taught. "Blessed are the peacemakers" is essential to Christianity. It is at the heart of who we are. Let's show the world we can live with peace.

Read Part 1: Blessed are the poor in spirit. 
Read Part 2: Blessed are those who mourn.
Read Part 3: Blessed are the meek 
Read Part 4: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
Read Part 5: Blessed are merciful  
Read Part 6: Blessed are the pure in heart