Glocal Christianity

C S Lewis on Tyranny and War

Here are some quotes I have collected from C S Lewis on the topic of tyranny and war. I found some of them quite surprising and thought provoking.

That is the key to history. Terrific energy is expended -- civilizations are built up -- excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top, and then it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down.

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

War creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice.

A man may have to die for our country: but no man must, in any exclusive sense, live for his country. He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most emphatically belongs to God: himself.

'Useful,' and 'necessity' was always 'the tyrant's plea'.

If war is ever lawful, then peace is sometimes sinful.

Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did.

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way”

Loving the Abandoned: Politics By Other Means

People seem to think that separation of church and state means Christians shouldn't get involved in politics as Christians. That they should somehow think secular when addressing secular issues.

But the reverse is actually true. The real problem is that Christian involvement in politics generally hasn't been Christian enough. They've have used the means of the state - legalised violence and the theat of legalised violence - in the name of the church. When really what they should have been doing is rejecting the means of the state as a prophetic witness against it. The primary political instrument of Christians is not the state, it's the creation of contrast communities. Communities that live by a different ethic.

This approach is no less political, its just politics by alternative means. And if you take this line of thought to its logical conclusion, the primary political task of us Christians today should be the cleaning up of our own backyard. We should be less concerned with legislating for non-Christians and more concerned with living alternative lifestyles as a form of political protest and social activism.

So, less energy directed at changing abortion legislation, more energy directed at welcoming struggling single mums into supportive community, so that they aren't so inclined to feel abortion is the only realistic option. Now, what sort of attitudinal changes does that imply is required in some churches? What? More welcoming to broken families? Tough call, its easier said than done, particularly when you've got kids of your own that you'd like to protect from a broken world. But remember ancient Christians started some of the first orphanages and hospices, this is our heritage.

So for a moment, just imagine this, a network of alternative communities where the abortion rate is way, way below the national average because they support single mums so compassionately? Wouldn't that be a witness against the world? That's the politics of Jesus.

Love Meditation

Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

Psalm 48:9

Poem on the Pain of Love

Does God understand the pain of love?
The loneliness we feel
The rejection the betrayal of trust by a friend.
Does He understand the experience of total separation
From one He loves?
Does He understand the agony and grief of the soul?
The cost and the pain of love.

God sent his only Son into the world.
He was despised and rejected by men
Betrayed by a friend.
He experienced total separation from His beloved Son.
In the garden Jesus knew agony and grief beyond compare.
The cost and the pain were borne for us on the cross.
Yes God knows the pain of love.

Dave, 1984. Sourced from here.

I came across this poem while reflecting on the crucifixion of Jesus, on what it meant and what it says about God. 

Surprised by love

I always enjoy it when people are surprised by love. When something you do floors them just because they really did not expect it. Whether it is a stranger in the street, or a well known rival in the workplace, something wonderful comes into the world with that dumbfounded look.

I was relating an incident to a work colleague the other day, about a business function I had once tagged along to with my wife. As circumstances had it, we ended up seated at the gay end of the table. I say that with all seriousness because, we were literally the only couple who was heterosexual at that end. Well, we’d been pleasantly chatting for an hour before something came up about evangelicals and, well, while we don’t wear it on our sleeves we don’t hide it either so we confessed. The physical reaction was so profound I may as well have slapped them all in succession. It shook them; the realization of what had just transpired, warm conversation with Christians.

There was another incident the other week, my wife decided to clear out the pantry, and, as is our practice, she asked around to see who could use all the stuff better than us. One of our friends referred us to another friend who was really doing it tough and couldn’t afford food too well, so we passed it on. She was so grateful she wanted to buy us all gifts! It is especially poignant when they person concerned is not used to receiving gifts from a stranger. It is seriously good. One of my favorite memories is was a time when we turned up at the house of some refugees with a TV and furniture we no longer had need for. They’d gotten off the plane with nothing, literally nothing, but a bag full of nappies some weeks before. The wife was just in shock. Yet all it took was us asking, who needs it?

In those circumstances it wasn’t too much effort on our part, other times - as with showing love to someone who has wronged you - it takes a whole lot more effort. Yet that is the path Jesus calls us to, is it not? In fact, loving God and loving others, isn’t that the only thing he has ever asked of us?

Catholic priest from India preaches on love

Catholic priest, Rev Joseph Eruppakkatt, speaks on Jesus, Gandi, and the nature of love.

Pure Love

If you were to glimpse

  pure love

              if only for a moment

       what then?