I have been reading Marcus Borg's book Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most on my Fire Tablet. The morning after President (I find it difficult to use that title for this president) Trump went on television to announce air strikes on Syria the title of Chapter 10 was ironically, "Christians Are Called to Peace and Nonviolence." The chapter begins with these words,
"I wish All Christians knew Christian teaching about peace and nonviolence as the alternative to reliance on military power and war. It is especially important for American Christians to know this. ...The United States accounts for almost half of the world's military spending.
Our armed forces are as powerful (as) those of the next dozen nations combined. No one is surprised that the U. S. Air Force is the most powerful in the world. But consider that the second most powerful is the U.S. Navy Air Force.
Moreover, we use military power not only as a deterent and as a response to violence, but also preemptively, as in the war we initiated in Iraq.
And yet, statistically we are the most Christian country in the world. About 80 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christian, and that means there are more Christians in the United States than in any other country. Is our reliance on massive military power for our security and the way we use it consistent with being Christian? Are war and the threat of violence against enemies consistent with being Christian? Sometimes? Always? Never?"
This book is about how Marcus Borg matured as a Christian. It could be considered a Christian - Faith memoir. He said that as a child, "It never occurred to me to wonder whether there was any conflict between being Christian and fighting for one's country. Christianity and patriotism went together." (Emphasis mine.) It was later in life as he begins to think more deeply about the subject that he discovers this was not necessarily true. He continues this section by writing, "Only in college did I first learn that there were several Christian attitudes toward war, including pacifism. ... I also took it for granted that our country would never wrongly become involved in a war. The United States was not only great but good. ... My conviction lasted until the early years of the Viet Nam War. In 1965, I was still justifying our involvement." Later in the chapter he writes, "My easy Christian acceptance of American use of military power vanished." he then asks, "What does it mean to give one's primary allegiance to God, as known especially in Jesus, and to be an American today? (Again emphasis mine.)
Borg explores scripture to understand this question about clashes between violence, war, patriotism, love, and Christianity. He says, "Jesus was among those who advocated nonviolent resistance. His teaching and actions provided 'a third way' between the options of violent resistance to and submissive acceptance of domination, injustice, and violence.
So also Paul was an advocate of nonviolent resistance."
The various alternatives are explored in the balance of the chapter including Just War Theology, Holy War Theology, and Conventional Acceptance of War. He says that the last one, "... is seldom named but is probably the most common." As I think back to the various military conflicts that the U.S. has been involved in during my life, this last one is the most common. Given the society and the accepted norms that are part of this society I can understand why this is true. What I have more trouble understanding is how the people of this country do this with little or no thought because it is easy. More important is, "What do I make for dinner?, I can't miss my football game, what time is Sally's dance recital, etc." All important considerations during our day-to-day life, but they should not take presidence over, or completely negate how we react to questions of war and peace and what we do about it. We can't simply "go along to get along" peoples lives and suffering depend on it.
Marcus Borg also explores the various Biblical options that form a Christian's opinion about war and violence. After exploring his journey from childhood to an adult life about this subject and also the various options available he concludes the chapter this way,
"Following Jesus and taking seriously early Christian pacifism and subsequent teaching about justifiable war radically calls into question the widespread American Christian support of and acquiescence to our country's pre occupation with military power. ...
My own journey has not led me to the conviction that pacifism is the only legitimate Christian option. ... But I have become convinced that Christians who oppose war are more often right than wrong. Nonviolent resistance to evil, including the evils of injustice should be the primary Christian response." (Again this emphasis was mine.)
I hear the author saying in the last quote above that the default position for Christians should be nonviolent resistance to war; not automatic acceptance of whatever our government decides to do.
I can recommend this book to anyone who is interested in how this Christian author matured in his faith and how it might inform you about how you grow as a Christian; not only about this subject of war, peace, and violence but also about how to demonstrate a meaningful Christian witness.
