Late again, my apologies, somehow after finishing exams I am busier than ever! I went to a peace service at St. Martin in the Fields, Traf. Sq. last Monday, Archbishop Tutu spoke. It was a funny little service, with people lined up the stairs and out of the corridor of this basement space and a BBC news crew delivering a live broadcast (with commentary) in the middle of the service, and the crowd! Nothing revolutionary was said, but it was certainly a revolutionary that said it. What struck me most about the Archbishop was his childlike sincerity, his ability to see the lighter side of any man, no matter how far he has fallen from grace. Having faced the darkest of times, somehow he has an unfailing capacity to make fun of what seems at the time to everyone else to be a insurmountable evil.
I was reminded of 2 Cor. 4 v 7 - “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” The faith to laugh in the face of oppression, the power to stand in the face of an evil system and watch as it crumbles, the hope to believe in a better future when the evidence is stacked against you. That is God’s treasures hidden in “jars of clay”. As he danced through the hymns, hid behind his notes while recounting meetings with Richard Gere and the Dali Lama, the Archbishop proudly announces that the treasure is not his, rather that it is in him!
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defence than on programmes of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” - Martin Luther King
As promised, I went to London with Louise last Thursday and heard Jim Wallis talk at LICC about his new book, Seven Ways to Change the World. I’ve read God’s Politics and the talk was along similar lines. From what I gathered the focus for the new book is less on party politics, and more on the idea of social movements, those movements being rooted so often in religious communities. Obviously he said a lot, if you want to know the details you’ll need to read his books or check out his blog, I am just going to pick out the bits which stood out to me.
According to Jim, politicians lick their fingers and hold them fingers to the wind, rather than looking to them for the leadership needed to change the world, what Gandhi and King realised was that you needed to change the wind rather than the weatherman! It’s social movements that change the wind, it was King, not Johnson who made the voting rights act possible in the US, it was Gandhi and Nehru not Attlee and Mountbatten who freed India from centuries of British rule.
One of the questions that came up was to do with an ideal system, if the capitalist, liberal democratic system is not ideal, is there one that fits with the Kingdom of God. It’s something that I have been thinking about, but I feel uncomfortable with all the current and competing systems. Trying to imagine a new one also seems somewhat futile, after all what good is a new (detailed) ideal, how are we supposed to make that ideal a reality and what makes me so sure that this new ideal would be more successful than the present system. No human system will be able to contain the raw power of the King. The Kingdom represents an irresistible and perpetual revolution, it is not about an ideal system but rather it is about the King and his reign, his justice cannot be contained within a static set of rules or hierarchies. That is an exciting and liberating idea don’t you think?
Great interview with South African President Thabo Mbeki. Two things stood out, firstly his commitment to a genuinely democratic solution to the Zimbabwean problem. He has obviously taken note that a seizable proportion of the Zimbabwean electorate voted for Zanu-PF, his approach to negotiations is in light of this, and I think he draws on the South African experience in that regard.
When appartheid finally fell, it didn’t happen instantly, there were negotiations between the two parties and a period of transition. It was not imposed from outside, after 350 years of oppression the black majority leaders had the sense to manage the transition peacefully, without vilification. They had every right to be angry with the ruling party, to kick them out of office and into jail. However, for the sake of the nation, they held out a hand and offered fraternity where it was undeserved.
When pushed on the issue of wealth re-distribution in South Africa, again his response was considered and his approach seems to be steeped in an appreciation for the historical and social context. While liberals in the west bemoan Mugabe’s resort to violent and sudden land reforms, often the same liberals shake their heads as they consider the slow progress made in South Africa. As Mbeki rightly points out however, you cannot peacefully undo 350 years of racism, colonialism and injustice in 14 years! Just look at Zimbabwe (though Mbeki didn’t name names of course)!
Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London… how did this happen? As a species we are approaching a critical juncture, with the climate collapsing and seemingly irreversible global inequalities we cannot afford to screw around any longer.
This photo album called “City of Shadows” by Alexey Titarenko seems to speak volumes. What are we going to do? Is there hope for a world that seems to be jauntily proceeding towards it’s own destruction or are we relegated to this passive demonocracy?
I found this video while searching for bits and pieces on Bonhoeffer. It’s a really interesting question, especially for those who lean towards non-violence. I will try and kick things off in the comments, try and be as honest as possible!
I left a response to David Miliband’s post on the ship full of Chinese arms which are headed for Zimbabwe, but for some reason it never passed moderation. It is a simple comment really, after all, we are all fully aware of Mugabe’s crimes, and those pesky Chinese. Abusing human rights willy nilly, abusing the rights of white farmers with a wanton disregard for the law of the land. A pathological megalomaniac in charge of macro-economic policy. Another rabid, incompetent African leader screwing over his people. Things were so much better when we were in charge…
Don’t get me wrong, I am not fan of Mugabe or Hu, but how can we westerners be so self righteous. Chomsky (2 min) sets out a good principle which should govern our feelings of indignation, though I think it was a certain Jesus Christ who initially proposed it.
3 “Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye’?? Look at yourself! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. 5 You hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend’s eye.” - Matt 7 v 3-5
It’s much easier to wax lyrical about China, South Africa and Zimbabwe, than to examine our own crimes. Whether they be in Iraq, in collusion with the Americans in Guantanamo, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia or Israel, to name but a few. If you want details I can certainly point you in the right direction. We can do so much to reduce the sum of human suffering on the planet, simply by not interfering. Things would be a good deal better if we just stop perpetrating and colluding with those who commit horrendous crimes. It’s easy for us to sit here and be indignant about the speck in our neighbours eye, the hard thing is to take that gaze and direct it towards a mirror. That sort of critical reflection requires action, it requires a choice and often requires sacrifice. If charity starts at home, perhaps moral indignation should likewise be reserved?
Belatedly, what do you think of the redesign? Answers on a postcard, or probably more useful as a comment on this post! Good Colours? Pretentious? Accessible? Fast Loading? Boring? Need feedback, shall be posting something at least every Sunday from now on, promise!
Late again, my apologies, somehow after finishing exams I am busier than ever! I went to a peace service at St. Martin in the Fields, Traf. Sq. last Monday, Archbishop Tutu spoke. It was a funny little service, with people lined up the stairs and out of the corridor of this basement space and a BBC news crew delivering a live broadcast (with commentary) in the middle of the service, and the crowd! Nothing revolutionary was said, but it was certainly a revolutionary that said it. What struck me most about the Archbishop was his childlike sincerity, his ability to see the lighter side of any man, no matter how far he has fallen from grace. Having faced the darkest of times, somehow he has an unfailing capacity to make fun of what seems at the time to everyone else to be a insurmountable evil.
As promised, I went to London with 
