I will do my best to share some of the key ideas I heard today at a conference regarding the 'powers and principalities' that scripture talks about existing in our world. Something quite new to my limited or even misguided understanding of the scope of what these scripture passages are really refering to....as our "fight is not against man, but against the powers and principalities"...which I, and I think others, have made into the idea of little (or big) demons that exist in people. What I will share next are ideas and thoughts shared by 3 key speakers: Walter Wink, Stanley Hauerwas and Marva Dawn.
First, there are spiritual realities at the core of institutional life; in government, corporations, schools, churches, our systems and structures. We need to see these institutions as both evil and good at the same time and social change is what happens when we unmask the powers of evil in our systems - ie, unjust systems that perpetuate violence. "Transformation takes place within the limits of the fallen". We recognize that we as individuals are fallen people, so too are our institutions. It is not just a matter of casting out demons, because evil is profoundly systemic, and runs deeper than existing in just one person, or peoples. The best way for us to understand our institutions and structures is to see them as good, fallen and redeemable all at the same time. We ought not to demonize someone who is doing evil if at the same time we are to see them as good, bad and redeemable all at the same time.
So how do we confront and unmask these powers and principalities that are evil or demonic? By dying. We must die to what has killed us; oppression, abuse, injustice, domination, power and control - die to social entities in order to live authentically. Personal redemption cannot take place without the redemption of our social structures, so we must set out to liberate powers - calling them back to what their created intention was to be, in order that there may be universal restitution of all things. The gospel is not just a salvation of individuals from the world, but a world transfigured. -Walter Wink
To get rid of war, we need a moral substitution for it. Unfortunately, war is a force that gives us meaning, purpose, reason and meaning for living. War gives us a cause and allows us to be noble. War makes the world coherent by creating black and white, us and them. War enables us to create a unified story and binds us together as a nation or people group. To preserve the humanity of those we are killing, we dehumanize them and the act itself. War is violent and counter to the gospel that calls us to be at peace with each other and God. But, do we have an alternative? According to Hauerwas, the church is that alternative. (As discussion ensued, others talked further about the chuch's ability to show solidarity with the poor as a moral practice that is an alternative to war. It is in our ability to see ourselves as forgiven and broken people -even though we are often in the position of power - that we can demonstrate the radical practice of forgiveness, not violence, as our response). War demands sacrifice - sacrificing our moral unwillingess to kill. Since Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice, we no longer need a sacrifice. - Stanley Hauerwas
Only by grace can we face the 'powers and principalities'. Ephesians 6. It doesn't say fight the powers, it just says, stand against the powers. (What sense does it make to overcome evil by doing evil - violence?). Churches can be these principalities that are fallen and we need to expose or be exposed when we act in a fallen way, ie., attracting people through our worship. Yet there is hope. The reason we can stand against the "powers and principalities" is because we know we already have victory. God has already defeated the evil in our institutions, structures and systems when Christ defeated them on the cross. God calls us to a universal work of bringing shalom in the world. We have a place in the greater meta-narrative of His redeeming work in the world. That place is to stand against the methods of the Powers and Principalities - our struggle is not against persons. We need to understand that the "rulers and authorities" that scripture talks about are human institutions that can become fallen and act like demonic forces. We don't really know the essence of these powers - scripture does not speak into that. Nor do we need to know. But we do need to know how they work - signs of corrupt institutions and systems; injustice, greed, (a business does not exist to make money, that is a means to the end...that of giving back to the larger community - Wink). We are to be peace makers, with armour that defends us and gives us authority to stand against these powers, for the battle has already been won! (read Ephesians 6 and dwell on the armour that we are given). - Marva Dawn
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
A look at Hamilton
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