Pentecost for peacemakers is easily contrasted with Militarism’s Memorial Day for citizens. On Pentecost, peacemakers remember Jesus was always bringing people together; sharing diversity, compassion, and friendship with people. On Memorial Day, citizens remember warriors who are always being pitted against other people; coercing tribalism, fighting, and being killed and/or killing opponents. Citizens are perpetual graveside attendants honoring empire’s way of war.
Members of Veterans for Peace, who do not want to be thanked for their service, understand the difference of such memorializing. Those members who are veterans of the U.S. Empire’s war on Iraq remember on Memorial Day their many brothers and sisters who fought and killed opponents, and then, after coming home, died at their own hands. One of the reasons their comrades could not go on living after being a part of so much dying is referred to as moral injury. Moral injury has been defined as “perpetrating, failing to prevent, or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs.” That war transgresses basic human morality and demeans its participants has long been an obvious truth. It is also a truth consistently minimized and even denied by standard bearers of empire. Researchers Shira Maguen and Brett Litz in ‘Moral Injury in Veterans of War’, identify four events that may contribute to a soldier’s moral injury; betrayal (e.g. violating one’s conscience or being betrayed by others), disproportionate violence (e.g. acts of revenge), within-rank violence, and, most problematic and true of Iraq veterans, violence against civilians. No healthy human being wants to injure or kill another human being. Getting trained to do so does not change that deep truth for a human being caught up in empire’s lies and carnage. When self titled christians in any way support human beings killing other human beings or support the empires that deceive them into it, they participate in a two millennia old moral injury to faith in Christ Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus was not guided by empire and its deadly values but rather by the Spirit of Truth. He promises that Spirit to disciples in this Sunday’s Gospel. He says, “When The Advocate comes, the Spirit of truth, you will be guided to all truth.” Let us remember the truth that empires are war machines. They possess weapons capable of destroying the earth, annihilating humanity, and killing the soul of every human being betrayed by its memorializing propaganda. Let us also always remember the more important truth that we can be powerful life-giving agents for peace. We are capable of caring for the earth, nurturing all humanity, and re-enlivening the soul of every person to be a powerful peacemaker.
Prayer: Spirit of Truth, you live within us all.
Question: How is my faith an active peacemaking?
May 24, 2015 Gospel John 15:26-27; 16:12-15 Pentecost
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