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In a recent op-ed piece carried by the New York Times, my old friend Jim Wallis makes an interesting point. He notes that while a vast majority of Americans see themselves as religious, the politicians who seem to relate to them best on matters of faith are Republicans. Democrats, it seems, are not only reluctant to talk about religious issues, but want to push God out of politics altogether. Wallis says that by "withdrawing into secularism" and allowing the right to define religious issues, such Democrats are "depriving Americans of an important debate."
I'm not interested in promoting either party's agenda, but I am interested in that debate, because it is an important one. Whichever way you look at it, the intersection of church and state is shaping public and private life more and more. Just look at last June's Supreme Court ruling on homosexual relationships, or the recent row over the Ten Commandments monument in Montgomery, Alabama.
This debate affects me quite personally because as a frequent speaker on nonviolence in public schools, I am always having to watch that I don't wear out my welcome by using "religious language" in the wrong context. Never mind that the coins in my pocket carry the motto, "In God we trust." I still have to be careful when and how I use the word "God."
It's a different world from that of the Civil Rights era, when thousands of us participated in a movement that was as spiritual as it was political. In those days, few people felt the need to hide the faith that shaped their outlook on life. Martin Luther King was especially
fearless in this regard: he quoted Jesus publicly, on everything from humility and turning the other cheek to forgiving one's enemies. And he took on not only racism, but materialism and militarism as well. Tragically, this outspokenness cost him his life. But it also left us a monumental legacy.
Perhaps what gave King such urgency and boldness was his sense that his days were numbered. But aren't our days numbered too? Doesn't every week bring new reminders that we live in the end times? As a child, such thoughts scared me. I remember listening to my father read prophecies from Revelation and thinking, "I hope such terrible things never happen in my lifetime." Later, as a father, I thought: Just let my children grow up and enjoy a "normal" life first. Now my children are married and have children of their own, but I'm no longer so sure I want them to have a "normal" life. Who am I to hope for a delay in the fulfillment of God's plans for the world? What does it mean to pray, "Thy kingdom come"?
The more I think about it, the more I feel that the sooner these prophecies are fulfilled, the better for all of us. As frightening as it is to think of "nations and kingdoms proclaiming war against each other, and earthquakes and famines in many lands," such horrors are already realities in many parts of the world.
Current developments in the Middle East alone are enough to give one sleepless nights. There is unrest in Afghanistan and fighting in Iraq; terror in the streets of Israel, and simmering tensions in Pakistan. The whole Arab world is in an uproar. As if that weren't enough, the worst earthquake in years has left tens of thousands dead in Iran, with
thousands more at risk from untreated injuries, exposure to cold, hunger, and epidemic diseases.
Jeremiah tells us not to panic when we "hear the first rumors of approaching forces, for rumors will keep coming year by year." But we also cannot ignore Christ's warning in the Gospel of Matthew about "a time of persecution such as the world has never seen before and will never see again," or the passage in Luke where he promises us that we
will be "dragged into synagogues and prisons and before kings and governors for my sake." To me, these words are a call to action, especially for those of us who claim to be people of faith. They challenge us to stop hiding, and to let ourselves be used as instruments for God.
The first person who comes to mind when I think of someone who has let himself be used in this way is a wheelchair-bound man who is so disabled that he can't even breathe on his own. His name is Steven McDonald, and he is a detective with the NYPD. Steven was shot in the line of duty by a teenage gunman, and one of the three bullets he took paralyzed him from the neck down.
That happened seventeen years ago on a summer day in Central Park. Today, Steven spends the better part of many days going from one high school assembly to another, telling young men and women about his remarkable journey since then. He and his wife, Patti Ann, have struggled through anger and despair and come to terms with his
life-changing injuries. They have forgiven his assailant and become ambassadors of love and peace.
As Steven's frequent partner at the podium, and as a close friend, I was privileged to be with him at a recent event in New York where Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly recognized him for his work in spreading the message of nonviolence, and announced his surprise promotion to Detective 1st Class. An honor like this is a rare thing, but it is a
highly significant one, because it affirms the difference that even one person can make in the world if he is willing to be used by God. Of course, this willingness is a fruit of Steven's faith. He knows that, incapacitated as he is, God can still use him.
The day before Martin Luther King was murdered, on April 3, 1968, he said, "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life...But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will..." Along with faith, we must have this same desire if we are going to survive the fear
and violence and mass confusion of our time.
If only each one of us truly focused on God's will, I am certain that every need we face-- regardless of our race, nationality, religious persuasion, income, sexual orientation, or political leaning--would soon be answered. Then none of us would be depressed or lonely, and even the most faint-hearted person would be given courage. The worst enemies would be reconciled, and we would love one another and forgive one another.
Then Jesus will come, and nothing will be able to stop him. The ancient promise of the peaceable kingdom will become a reality, and so will John's vision, as described in Revelation 21: "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear
from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. For behold, I make all things new!" May God give it that this will happen soon.
Johann Christoph Arnold is author of ten books and a minister with the Bruderhof Communities.
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