Two Kinds of “Peace”
by OriginalSoapbox
The increase of personally-directed anger and vengefulness in post-9/11 politics marked the turning of a sinister page in our political history. The sting of terrorism prompted an immediate national impulse of retribution toward dangerous or potentially dangerous persons and organizations. The politics of personal destruction took a holiday. Yet once the nation came to itself and began to question the two wars it had hastily entered, a new and terrible impulse took the place of the first, one of shrill anger and unreasoning hatred. It was seen first in the radical Left, and later, during the Obama administration, mirrored in the reactive Right. New words entered our contemporary vocabulary: “Truthers,” “Birthers.” (And now, perhaps, “Deathers?!”) It seemed as if it had become politically acceptable for political radicalism–always a property of the lunatic fringe–to rise to the surface of political discourse.
It seems as if the Islamic terrorists were able, by acts of symbolic violence, to subject us to the Dar-al-Harb, the Islamic version of Hobbes’s “state of war,” from which islam, absolute, unquestioning submission to Allah, is the only escape.
The universality of Christianity is worlds apart from the universal claims of Islamism. Unlike most religions, Christianity is not a religion that is tied to a particular place or culture, whereas Islam is impossible to imagine without Mecca or the Arabic language. The political imagination of Islam is completely caught up in political victory accomplished in this world, whereas Christianity follows St. Augustine in professing primary allegiance to a kingdom which is ‘not of this world.’ This kingdom is represented in the Church, but will not become fully realized on earth until the resurrection of the dead. Christians are not required to withdraw from worldly affairs, but they are not permitted to exalt them as matters of ultimate importance. When Christianity became a universally welcoming faith immediately following Christ’s resurrection, it abandoned Zealous dreams of political power.
Thus, Christianity adapts much more easily to various places and their various cultures. It is able to coexist with family and community ties, laws, and the accidents of location, mutual dependence, and shared history. Christianity is the most racially and culturally diverse religion, with converts from all nations. Its scriptures are translated into every language, and converts are encouraged to learn how to live as Christians within their own contexts.
One thing distinguishes the zealot from the communitarian. The latter is primarily concerned with the welfare of those around him, and only secondarily interested in ideologies and non-local political matters.
The racist is not a communitarian. His predisposition to ally himself primarily with a dispersed population of co-racials (as he imagines them) impairs his love for the people near him who are not like him.
The political partisan may still be a communitarian, but only to the extent that his disposition does not lead him to sacrifice the well-being of his fellow citizens, especially those with whom he lives. What is his first allegiance? One can be a loyal “American” and hate his brother.
But can a Christian be a communitarian? Christianity is, after all, a universal and absolute religious commitment, one that brooks no rivals in the human heart. The Christian’s allegiance is held first by the kingdom of Heaven, which does not exist on earth. Yet the teaching of Christianity is fully compatible with living in a local community. While unbending in its ethics, Christianity is very generous toward the unbeliever in a way that most ideologies–both religious and secular–are not. It puts the opportunity for salvation before each individual, while leaving the outcome to God alone. Christians even deny that apart from the work of God any person can come to faith by himself. Conversion is a sign of special Divine intervention. Thus, compulsive conversion is not an option for Christians.
In Islam, the profession of faith is more important than a genuine belief in and love of God, because Islam is a political religion. By contrast, the Christian always hopes that even the ‘vilest sinner’ may be savingly ‘found’ by God. The Christian does seek the kingdom of God, but it is a ‘peaceable’ kingdom that cannot be realized in the political sphere. Rather, it is the rule of God to which the Christian submits his own heart, and is lived out in his daily work in seeking the well-being of those around him.
