Jesus sends out disciples in this Sunday’s Gospel. He does not want them to perform individual tasks but to accomplish a social mission – establishing the “Community of God.” The Community of God is people living in very practical ways on the personal and social level. Therefore, life in the Community of God requires a conversion away from Militarism’s kingdoms of rulers. The conversion is three-fold as laid out in today’s Gospel. We convert from Militarism’s dominating relationship model when we relate as friends, “two by two.” We convert from Militarism’s disposition toward conquest when we “take nothing for the journey”; be vulnerable and depend on the kindness of others. We convert from Militarism’s training of troops for killing campaigns when we empower for a healing mission; “anoint with oil the many that are sick and cure them.”
It is un-Christ-like and deceptive to deny the social and structural conversion Jesus accomplishes by commissioning disciples for the Community of God. The denial of social and structural conversion is routine in cultures, even in those that call themselves Christian. That denial is currently happening through the U.S. media, specifically in its reporting on Greece. Though media falsely portray Greeks as recipients of excessive welfare entitlement programs, in truth, Greeks receive less in public money (44%) than do citizens of Germany (46%), and certainly less than the solvent Sweden (55%). Though media falsely portray Greeks as lazy, in truth, Greeks work longer hours (43 hours/week) than Germans (35/week). Similarly, though media falsely portray the current economic crisis as a matter of undeserving people getting undeserved handouts, in truth, it is yet another example of the common people funding the bailouts of greedy banks. Banks operate across the world according to the values of Militarism – dominating, conquering, and violating people and communities. In the case of Greece the militant banks in question are three, referred to as the Troika – the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, and the European Commission. They have been targeting Greece for destruction by waging war on the people. It is the same war banks wage across the world and the one they continue to arm themselves for in the U.S. It is a financial war strategized as a two stage attack. First, financial elites plunder the people’s economy and, second, they finish off the population by implementing austerity programs against the people. Greeks may not be successful given the financial armaments deployed against them. They are doing what they can however to implement a social and therefore structural conversion. They deserve our support.
The conversion of structures is inherent to Jesus’ model of co-creating the Community of God here on earth. There are many examples of it being co-created two by two, with vulnerable people, committed to healing the personal and structural effects of warfare. One example of converting away from financial warfare is the work of the Religious Communities Investment Fund (http://rcif.org/). Women religious communities “believe, as Gospel people, that they are called to use their financial resources as a ministry to assist in overcoming social and environmental inequities.” As such these women are helping to effect structural conversion and helping co-create the Community of God on earth.
Prayer: Spirit of Abundance, we willingly give ourselves to sharing.
Question: What personal financial changes can I make to effect structural financial changes?
July 12, 2015 Mark 6:7-13 Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time
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