“Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, Jesus said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch. Simon said in reply, ‘Teacher, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your words I will lower the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish.”
Institutional christianity operates from a false and shallow theology. It is the Old Testament’s Militant theology as updated by Paul. Paul periodically ventures into depth but ultimately resides in the shallow to the degree he proselytizes for Militarism. Militarism consists of ranked supremacists who abuse subordinates as enemies, and do violence to them. Paul proselytizes for Militarism in today’s reading, ‘Christ suffered and died for our sins.’ No. Christ Jesus suffered and died because Militarists, whose sin is making Jesus and all humanity suffer and die, murdered him. Militarism has invented its shallow theology to cover up its sin of murdering Jesus and innumerable other Christs. Those whose theology is shallow, like self titled Christians, sanctify Militarism and the suffering and death its soldiers inflict. Of note is recently pardoned Navy SEAL Team member Eddie Gallagher. Gallagher “shot at women and children and crowds of civilians, and murdered a prisoner in cold blood.” Gallagher describes himself as a Christian, others do too. Doing so proves, at best, a shallow understanding of Christ Jesus. Gallagher cannot be accurately described as Christian, meaning Christ-like. He is accurately described as a soldier. As a soldier, he has been trained in toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity is a highly contentious description but quite proudly trained for and lived by Militarists. Not every soldier, to the same degree, absorbs and lives Militarism’s training in toxic masculinity. It means training a man to be righteous in his domination, in his abuse, and in his violence. It is set forth in the Military’s Operations Manual, “The DOMINATE phase focuses on breaking an enemy’s will to resist or, in noncombat situations, (focuses on) control.” The “objective” of every soldier is to “Defeat, destroy, or neutralize the enemy.” Toxic masculinity is the soldier in everyday life. The soldier dominates over lesser beings; e.g. his wife, the homosexual neighbor, immigrants. He abuses the vulnerable; e.g. people who are made poor and those judged the enemy. The soldier violates who he can; e.g. women and people who are disabled. There is a correlation if not a cause in those who behave as soldiers. It is that they are fatherless or fathered in an unhealthy manner – in the manner of Militarism’s toxic masculinity – to be soldiers who dominate, abuse, and violate. Men do not behave that way. Men cooperate, love, and heal. They are Christ in everyday life. It is the man who is a son and a friend and a co-worker who lives in communion with others. It is the man who is a teacher and a counselor who lives as a caregiver helping to love enemies. It is the man who is a physician and a nurse who lives as a healing power for those who are violated. Militarism is intent on training men in a theology which is shallow. It will produce soldiers who are weak for want of an order, who are diminished for want of an enemy, and who are ill for want of a destructive pursuit. Soldiers are intent on keeping men in all that is shallow. Are we peacemakers as intent as Jesus was with his fishermen, guiding them into the deep. We too can ask soldiers to leave behind the shallow waters of Militarism that leave them empty. We can ask them to take a deep dive with their whole selves, into the depths of humanity. After their immersion in the deep, we can ask soldiers to do more than just put down their nets / their duties. We can ask soldiers to put down their weapons. We can ask this of Eddie Gallagher, of every soldier in every nation and every one of their supporters. Put down your weapons of death. From now on you will not be killing men.
“‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.”
Prayer: Spirit, help us to live deeply peaceful lives together.
Question: Am I willing to leave everything and follow peacemaking? Am I willing to help soldiers do the same?
February 06, 2022 Gospel Luke 5:1-11 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time