Something that has been troubling me for months is the issue of Empire. Empire: a political/economic entity or system that controls over a number of territories both "domestic" as well as subjugated "foreign" others (wikitionary). The Romans were the empire in the Mediterranean in first century AD. Now in our 21st century global community are we the Empire?
And are we the "Bread and Circus"? Latin: panem et circenses.[1] This term is used to describe how the massive population of Ancient Rome was kept content with government provided food and public entertainment. Everything was fine as long as the system provided for peoples wants. The system was made possible by oppressive taxation and tributes demanded from conquered regions of the Roman Empire. The beaten down poor were exploited to provide for the conquering rich.
Back in the day Caesar had his gospel[1] (Gk: euangélion). He actually had dibs on the word first. The gospel or “Good news” of Caesar was Pax Romana.
Pax Romana,[1] “Roman Peace”, is a term to describe a period of relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire. No major wars, no major conquests, just the wealthy and entitled living lavishly off of the political and economic oppression of the various provinces.
Are we the new Rome? Is the world being burdened by Pax Americana?
Does our wealth and our lifestyle as a culture drive us to protect it at all costs and to perpetrate actions in the name of the Empire that are not of the Lord? Do children bleed in sweatshops so that I can buy nice clothes and drive an suv and be completely ignorant to their cries?
The Lord heard the cries of the Israelites when they were oppressed by Egypt. Jesus repeatedly identifies with the marginalized and the oppressed. The question we must ask ourselves is are our actions oppressive? We are not oppressed. But are our actions oppressive? If so, and if the oppressed are crying out, then the Lord is against us and our oppressive Empire.
We say “God bless America” but what if He already has? What if we have squandered it? What if God, somehow in His goodness, continues to bless us and we continue to squander it?
The Lord heard the cries of the Israelites when they were oppressed by Egypt. Jesus repeatedly identifies with the marginalized and the oppressed. The question we must ask ourselves is are our actions oppressive? We are not oppressed. But are our actions oppressive? If so, and if the oppressed are crying out, then the Lord is against us and our oppressive Empire.
We say “God bless America” but what if He already has? What if we have squandered it? What if God, somehow in His goodness, continues to bless us and we continue to squander it?
To clarify, it's not just America that has this propensity, all of humanity does. But I am concerned with my actions in my culture. I will not be so America-centric as to think we are the only ones promoting Empire.
I know I have asked a lot of questions without giving much of a solution. I'm very much still wrestling with this issue. It makes me uncomfortable. But comfortable is the last place I want to be right now.
I know I have asked a lot of questions without giving much of a solution. I'm very much still wrestling with this issue. It makes me uncomfortable. But comfortable is the last place I want to be right now.
1 comment:
Dang, where's part 2?
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