This Sunday’s readings are concerned with wisdom and its effects. Some of the wisdom is conventional, defined as conveying generally accepted beliefs, opinions, and judgments. It can be contrasted with true wisdom that counters convention. The two wisdoms meet in the Gospel. A conventionally wise rich young man who glorifies rulers, their wealth and laws seeks the approval of a truly wise poor young man, Jesus, who does not glorify such things. Jesus’ ultimate wisdom to the man is that he free himself from his conventional life, “Sell what you have, and give to the poor… then come, follow me.” The rich young man is shocked by Jesus’ counter-cultural wisdom and rejects it, “his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”
Peacemakers are surrounded by conventional wisdom. One example of such wisdom is that the U.S. is currently undergoing difficulties but if our side sticks together we can make needed changes and be victorious over the other side. Truly counter-cultural wisdom would instead note the U.S. is an Empire, and a fascist one (exalted nationalism within a controlled bureaucracy headed by a dictator suppressing opposition). It produces difficulties and forces them onto others. For example, the U.S. is a leader in the current world-wide fascist movement. The U.S. empire needs to be dissolved. Christopher Browning, an expert on pre-WWII Europe and Nazi Germany is a guide for that dissolution. Browning authored an essay this past week, The Suffocation of Democracy, that addresses parallels between Nazi times and our own. He singles out for particular criticism Mitch McConnell, calling him “the gravedigger of American Democracy.” Browning compares McConnell to Paul von Hindenburg, a conventionally wise ruler who with other elites supported a race-baiting Adolph Hitler whom they believed could be controlled for their benefit. So too McConnell is a conventionally wise ruler who with other elites is supporting a race-baiting Donald Trump whom they believe can be controlled for their benefit. Trump is a wanna-be dictator enamored of other dictators, who McConnell type rulers use for their wealth and laws; tax cuts, deregulations, and social program destruction. They are all unwise rich white men who keep telling lies to to unwise poor white men. The primary lie is that they are being victimized by poor people/immigrants/women of color and should be justifiably angry. The unwise rich white men who rule as elites believe a mob of unwise poor white men can also be controlled for their own benefit. Ruling elites have long known their control can be achieved through outright dictatorship. They also know it can be achieved with less difficulty through a routine and degreed neutralizing of democracy, as they have long practiced here in the U.S. Thus, conventional wisdom can influence us via rich white men telling outright lies about immigrants (“rapists”) and women (“Better Putin than Hillary”). It can also influence us via degrees. Conventional wisdom can influence us little by little, here and there, into conformity to rulers, their wealth and laws. We may call ourselves truly wise but are we more like the rich young man and merely conventionally wise?
In the midst of conventionally wise rich men let us be truly wise peacemakers, counter-cultural radicals. Let us shock this U.S. Empire out of conformity to ruling elites.
Prayer: Spirit, let wisdom amaze and astonish me.
Question: To what degree am I a witness to counter-cultural wisdom?
October 14, 2018 Gospel Mark 10:17-30 Twenty Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time