Re: Escalating Threats Of Violence

Hi Church,

Even as I went to write this, the President once again appeared to shift course from his threat to wipe out the entire nation of Iran. These are hard days for me and I am not present with you the way I wish I was. But as Sabrina and I engage her medical journey, I also sense the Spirit saying Show Up For Your Life and so I am trying to show up with you, even though I have less capacity than usual.

The threats from the Executive Branch struck an unusual tone for me and I became concerned. I am grateful for what seems to be a reprieve, though I have every reason to believe the Commander in Chief will be as honest with the public as he was with his first, second, and third wives, as well as the many businesses with whom he broke contracts.

Thankfully, I can write this from a time when he appears to have backed down, for the moment. This gives me a chance to share whatever paltry guidance I have for you in the face of this wickedness and abuse. Behold, my imperfect thoughts, written from a place of weakness and depletion.

I’ll invite us to consider this moment Spiritually, Emotionally, Structurally, and Theologically.

SPIRITUALLY

Let’s begin with prayer–

Jesus, what more can we say? We have called our representatives. We have warned others in all the ways we can. We have attended trainings, written letters, participated in actions. And yet the powers that be continue to march on towards a cruelty that matches the most violent parts of our nation’s history.

God in Heaven, in you our ancestors trusted. You call Yourself the defender of widows and orphans–O God, defend the vulnerable. This we pray, in the Name of the One Who Became Vulnerable–the Vulnerable God–Jesus Christ.

EMOTIONALLY

From an emotional systems point of view, bullies and abusers tend to escalate their behavior when confronted. There is no rationale to the escalation, it is a physiological response that they themselves frequently do not understand. It is typically related to profoundly unmet needs for connection, security, and hope. I share this not to excuse or minimize the abuse, but to help us understand it so that we can protect ourselves from it. This type of behavior cannot be reasoned with, nor can we appeal to its human decency.

What we must do is draw boundaries around the behavior we will and will not accept. Many bullies/abusers will escalate their behavior when met with a boundary, in an effort to get their target to lower the boundary and give the abuser more control.

A boundary is any behavior that limits the abuser’s power–meaning we have many non-violent options.

It is possible that the President is experiencing certain boundaries at the moment–especially falling public approval. We should at some level, be prepared and expect further escalations as his public approval continues to fall. Life under authoritarians usually worsens: healthcare, standard of living, economic livability, education, the environment all tend to worsen; while corruption increases and every public service becomes less reliable. So public approval will continue to flag, meaning he will continue to escalate in an effort to exert control.

We need to faithfully draw boundaries around what we as followers of Jesus will accept–theologically, behaviorally, legally, etc.--even as the violations escalate. At some point the system will either repent, or collapse under its own lack of integrity.

STRUCTURALLY

Structurally, we should understand that this government is the puppet of certain wealth hoarding interests–interests in which both major parties are deeply complicit. Wars are profitable. Genocide is profitable. Concentration camps are profitable. Slavery wages and inhumane conditions, deteriorating public health, environmental destruction are all profitable. Politicians will use whatever rhetoric they can to justify these policies–but unmasking the rhetoric as false is only part of the work.

In order to stop the behavior, we need to make these enterprises less profitable. The billionaires are not principled people. Once their profit margins falter, they will pivot to other methods of extraction.

We need gifted and dedicated folks to explore ways to make the enterprises less profitable, so that legislators and judges cannot gain personal wealth by enabling these horrors.

THEOLOGICALLY

Eventually, the abuser will meet a boundary that overcomes them. This is the testimony of both Scripture and History. It will be vastly preferable if the boundary comes from within our system. If cabinet members refuse to follow the agenda. If military officers refuse to obey illegal orders. If legislators and judges stop enabling the abuse. If oligarchs attempt to make money without destroying lives.

Should that fail to happen, the boundary will appear from elsewhere—another nation, or the earth itself–and this could be far more painful. Lord Jesus, may it not be.

In the meantime, the Church is meant to be a “small working model of the world to come,” meaning we create an alternative ecosystem that embodies the values of Jesus and simultaneously offers refuge from the powers that be.

Little Church, join me in praying for the vulnerable of the world–for children in Iran, children in Gaza, children in Southeast Portland–pray with me that these little ones would have a future and a hope; a lifetime of flourishing that allows them to see the flourishing of the generations that come after them.

And together, let’s keep doing what we can, to build that small working model that scripture calls “the Church.” And give thanks, that not only do we have each other, we have the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead–to give us unlimited hope for the age to come, and strength to do our work–be it childcare, studying, creating, filling out forms, operating equipment, healing bodies, minds and systems; strength to do our work!--today.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

With love,

Pastor Joel

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