I don’t know what comes to your mind when you hear the word revolution. For me the word triggers two streams of thought. The first thing that comes to mind is a story about my grandfather. My brother and I were visiting my grandparents. This was the first time that we saw our grandfather since he had become dement. It was a new situation and we did not really know what to make of it. My grandmother was embarrassed by the things he said and by the way he treated her. Both my brother and I did not know how to respond and felt really uncomfortable. Our visit took a turn for the positive when my grandfather started talking about the revolution that was going on inside the cake that we were eating. “Da ist eine Revolution im Kuchen. Eine Revolution!” The only way we could respond to this situation was by bursting out in laughter – my grandmother joined in as well. From that point on we could talk openly about how my grandfather was doing and we knew to take my grandfather’s words with a sense of humor, since he did not really know what he was saying. This is my first association with the word revolution.
The second thing that comes to mind when I hear the word revolution is communism – the Chinese Revolution, the Cultural Revolution and the October Revolution. For obvious reasons, revolution has become associated with violence and brutality. One thing that does not come to my mind is the phrase Christian revolution. This is the point where Saul. D. Alinsky’s book, Rules for Radicals comes in (I don’t subscribe to the author’s views, however, as always there is something to be learned). Alinsky explains how to organize people and to bring about revolution within the boundaries of a democratic system. Alinsky does not write from a Christian perspective, but he intends to take revolution back which seems to exclusively to be identified with communism. He says: “We have permitted a suicidal situation to unfold wherein revolution and communism have become one. These pages are committed to splitting this political atom, separating this exclusive identification of communism with revolution” (9). In essence his book is an “attempt to provide a revolutionary handbook not cast in a communist or capitalist mold, but as a manual for the Have-Nots of the world regardless of the color of their skins of their politics. My aim here is to suggest how to organize for power: how to get it and to use it” (9-10). My question in reading this book has been – What does Christian revolution look like compared to what Alinsky is describing? Does the notion of Christian revolution even make sense?
I want to highlight one particular statement that serves to illustrate the point where I find Alinsky’s thinking problematic. After that I want to contrast Alinsky’s approach with the East German churches way of leading the people in a peaceful revolution that brought about Germanys reunification.
Alinsky argues that asking the question “Does the end justify the means?” is wrongheaded. Rather he says that “the real and only question regarding the ethics of means and ends is, and always has been, “Does this particular end justify this particular means?” (24). He then goes on to argue: “The practical revolutionary will understand Goethe’s ‘conscience is the virtue of observers and not of agents of action’; in action, one does not always enjoy the luxury of a decision that is consistent both with one’s individual conscience and the good of mankind. The choice must always be for the latter. Action is for mass salvation and not for the individual’s personal salvation. He who sacrifices the mass good for his personal conscience has a peculiar conception of ‘personal salvation’; he doesn’t care enough for people to be ‘corrupted’ for them” (25).
The problem that I have as a Christian with Alinsky’s statement is that the means do matter. We are responsible before God with our actions (means) and if they are not according to his will we sin. Sin is the breakdown of relationships thus sinning against people that have sinned against us never solves the relationship problem (however, it might put somebody else on top or in power). Bryant L. Myers said that “Poverty is a result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable. Poverty is the absence of shalom in all its meanings.” Loving God and loving our neighbor is the Christian vision for relationship. Several of Alinsky’s proposal escalate the breakdown of relationships instead of restoring them. Thus, I don’t see how I can follow his vision of the democratic process of revolution.
On a different note, I want to share with you about the East German churches that played a vital role in the peaceful revolution that led to the reunification of Germany. Here you can read my full account of meeting the pastor who helped lead the way in this peaceful Christian revolution: http://buechsel.posterous.com/meeting-the-german-ghandi
What follows is an excerpt of my former post:
“Pastor Führer was replaying for us the historical events that took place in East Germany in 1989. A lot of people were fleeing from East to West Germany via Hungry. I remember how excited my dad was about all the things that were taking place before the German reunification. Every night we watched the news with eager anticipation to learn more about the people fleeing East Germany. It did not take long until we met people who fled to West Germany. My little sister befriended a little girl named Mendy that started going to her elementary school. Her family had fled via Hungary to West Germany and had ended up in our hometown in Germany.
The Nikolai Church faith community did not want to abandon East Germany and so they continuously pushed for a reform. On Monday evenings after the prayer meeting the people went on the city loop to demonstrate for freedom, for visas and continuously pressured the government for change. In contrast to some other demonstrations in the GDR, the demonstrations in Leipzig were by far the biggest and peaceful. On October the 9th 1989 the demonstrating reached its zenith. The military and STASI (secret police) had warned them not to demonstrate again. They had tried to intimidate them by imprisoning people during the previous demonstrations. On this day, the military and STASI had shut down schools and stores around the church and even build up some road blocks. The secret police had guns and sharp ammunition and pulled up some Tanks. Pastor Führer said they feared that the secret police would use the "Chinese Solution" as he called it to solve their problems with the resistant movement. Only later did I understand that he was alluding to the massacre that took place in 1989 on the Square of Heavenly peace in Beijing.
As always the crowd met that Monday evening at the church to pray. Pastor Führer pleaded with the people not to use violence and encouraged them to break the chain of violence just like Jesus had taught us in the Sermon on the Mount. After the prayer meeting 300000 people started to march around the city loop. The secret police and military was everywhere, but as Pastor Führer said: "Our fear was not as big as our faith." Pastor Führer pointed out that in one hand the people demonstrating held a candle and with the other hand they protected the flame. There was no hand left for violence. After the demonstrations, a member of the STASI told Pastor Führer that they were prepared to counter any type of action, except for candles and prayer. In all of this Pastor Führer saw the Holy Spirit at work that in a crowd of 300000 really frustrated people no violence broke out, for him this was a miracle.
Pastor Führer emphasized also that October the 9th and not November 11th was the significant date that enabled the German reunification. October 9th was the day when the Government gave way to the demands of the people. This was the true turning point in his mind. Noted scholar, Mary Fullbrook points out the significance of this day, when she writes: "In the event, there was a major turning point on 9 October, when the authorities renounced the use of force to suppress the Leipzig demonstration, and effectively conceded the legitimacy of demands for dialogue." Pastor Führer and his Christian Community led the people in Leipzig in a nonviolent resistant which played a key role in the peaceful revolution that led to the German reunification.”
Unlike Alinsky’s way of relating to the Haves, Have-a-Little and Have-Nots in the East German revolution all people were treated with dignity and not content. Since this revolution was not built on injustice true peace and reconciliation was/is possible.
Our means of Christian revolution is one of self-giving love! I would like to end my reflection with a quote from Philippians 2:5-11
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
Did not consider equality with God
Something to be grasped,
But made himself nothing,
Taking the very nature of a servant,
Being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled himself
And became obedient to death-
Even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
And gave him the name that is above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
In heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.”
No comments:
Post a Comment