Two of Jesus’ followers desire the glory of rule and ask him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” Jesus then summons the others and says to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.”
There is no greater Lording done by the master class than their Lording of nuclear death over all life upon the earth and the earth itself. Militarism’s master class glories in its research, development, and threatened use of genocidal weaponry. The rulers of Japan, Germany, Russia, and the U.S. were intent upon such genocide throughout the 1930’s and 40’s. The U.S. is the one and only nation to glory in using the horrifically deadly weapons. Since then, the proliferation of genocidal weaponry has expanded to nine nations which remain similarly intent upon their research, development, and threatened use of weapons of mass extinction. Nuclear scientists calculate 100 of these life ending weapons can destroy civilization and over 13,000 of them are awaiting launch. The money nuclear Lords spend on the weapons directly is billions upon billions of dollars year after year. These billions spent do not include additional billions in hidden costs of the weaponry such as on nature in air, land, and water pollution. Also on human health, especially of indigenous people and all downwind and downwater from nuclear toxicity and waste. Added to these costs is the cost of over 230 accidents, some of them hidden from inquiry, taking the lives of thousands of human beings. Added to this cost too is the cost of political will and policy being diverted, financial focus and planning being diverted, social integrity and well-being being diverted, as well as the diversion and/or waste of brain power, medical expertise, and university resources. And all of it is done to Lord death over all of us; over all the earth and all life upon the earth. How true it is, as Jesus said 2,000 years ago, that the kingdom of Caesar and its ‘great ones make their rule over us felt.’ Contributing to the end of such deadly Lording is the recent U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). It forbids nations to “develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons.” “The Treaty also obliges States (give) assistance to individuals affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons, as well as to take necessary and appropriate measure of environmental remediation in areas… contaminated as a result of activities related to the testing or use of nuclear weapons.” Among those working tirelessly toward the end of nuclear Lording are Plowshares activists. Plowshares activists make real Isaiah’s hope, “they shall beat their swords into plowshares,… nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” For over 40 years in the U.S., Plowshares activists have been servants of peace, “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.” In the service of peace, they have entered various military installations of the kingdom of Caesar to end its Lording of war. They have disrupted air shows, missile silos, offices, submarines, warships, and more with banners, their own blood, and prayer to bring an end to rulers of military arsenals Lording nuclear death over us all.
Elizabeth McAllister, one of eight Kings Bay Plowshares Activists recently released from jail, tells us, “we can address these weapons of mass destruction and help people understand how wrong they are, how destructive they are. We can show people that these weapons take away from every good effort people engage in. They undercut everything we try to do. Nuclear weapons forfeit our future… our ‘no’ is heard and inspires others.”
Prayer: Spirit, Inspire us for peacemaking.
Question: How is it that have we have accommodated ourselves to nuclear Lords Lording death over all life?
October 17, 2021 Gospel Mark 10:35-45 Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time