Further thoughts after waking up...
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N THE Comments to my previous post on Church/State issues, Jim (with his nice new blog design) asked " So is all activism 'unnecessary' on the part of a Christian?" I rambled a quick response this AM and now, a after a few hours rest, wil venture further into the territory. It is an important question of course, because my previous post may be seen as calling into question even Orthodox opposition to Abortion and participation of Orthodox Christians in politics (such as Sarbanes).Is activism unnecessary?
As with many things in Orthodoxy, I've come to seeing the answer is both yes and no. Indeed, this is a huge change to my own position as of even a year ago: it's a change that I've come to with the help of my own priest as well as the on-going discussions I have with readers and bloggers. I think it was Gregory O who pointed out to me that St Alexander Nevsky led the Armies of Russia against various invaders, while Sts Boris and Gleb decided for a pacifistic martyrdom. Both are valid political choices in Orthodoxy. I will add the the Czar-Martyr, Nicholas II: he fought the Western European Communists and Fascists for as long as he did, finally accepting a passion-bearing death at the hands of the former from whom are descended so many "activists" who still torture the Church of Christ. St Nicholas could hardly be called apolitical!
The question is not "is activism unnecessary?" but rather "when is activism necessary?"
I think all activism is unnecessary in a secular and political sense, ie in the sense which most all activists mean them. Unless you're going to "get everyone saved" then messing with the world on its own terms only gets you messed up. The world's "terms" includes fixing it. The world and the evil one like to keep your focus on fixing things that are unimportant. Humans are sinners and no lack of laws, no advance in laws, no peaceful change in government, no revolution, no fascism, no monarchy and no mob rule is going to change that - and least of all a mob-rule that gets conducted on a "secular" and anti-Christian model. The world can not be fixed: nor is it intended to be.
Most modern activist discussions are carried on without even a slight reference to divine revelation: even by people who would normally consider themselves Christians. Matt, over at 1000 Black Lines cites this quote from David Schmike in Utne.
The Jesus I met in the Bible would be more concerned about curing AIDs than outlawing homosexual marriage, more troubled by world hunger and violence than an erosion of "family values".Where is Jesus interested in "world hunger" or violence? No where. When was Jesus ever not interested in morality? Never. Homosexual marriage and Family Values touch on the essence of Jesus' restoration of Mankind to COmmunion with God. But the world boils Jesus down to its own level: deny the incarnate essence of Divinity, squash the seeds of moral living and, like so many left over corn husks, weave dolly out of the left overs and call it "this cool teacher".
When the argument is over government intervention in private business versus maintaining all public and natural beauty for future generations without any reference to what it means to be not only stewards of God's Creation but also fallen stewards of God's creation, ourselves in need of redemption; we're not going to win the argument. When the argument is over should same-sex couples get married versus why are you denying our rights instead of "what is the will of God for human sexuality"; we're not going to win that argument. When the argument is over should women have the right to unborn infanticide - or should they be forced to get illegal and unsafe abortions instead of "What is the will of God regarding the life of a human being created in His own image?"; we're not going to win that argument. When the argument is over the just or unjust treatment of prisoners of war versus the treatment of unlawful combatants instead of "how should Christians treat their enemies" we're not going to win that argument. When the argument is over state welfare versus corporate greed, libertarian capitalism versus limited capitalism instead of the proper place of "private property" in charity-based Christian economy; we're not going to win that argument.
The world can not be fixed save by one action: coming to the Eucharist and living in the Kingdom of God - the presence of Eternity on Earth between the Incarnation and the Last Judgement. When we ask the right questions we see that. When we ask the wrong questions we get lost.
With all that in mind, still it is because of one's own pride, one's own greed, one's own lust, one's own self-centredness that one's own self may be best sacrificed to God on the altar of public service for one's own salvation and the salvation of the 'thousands around you' as St Seraphim says. That's a step to take (or not to take) with the blessing of your Spiritual Father.
