John of Patmos uses the symbol of a lamb in his Revelation writings. He describes a gathering of peaceful people, “a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue (who) stood before… the lamb… who will shepherd them” John is borrowing the lamb symbol from Jesus who uses it to describe his peaceful People’s Movement, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Lambs are peaceful animals, gentle and intelligent. They express emotions, for example, when isolated or stressed, and when feeling content. Lambs are social creatures yet also have distinct, individual personalities. Those who farm lambs into sheep can do so for their milk and wool without killing them. Unfortunately, many lambs, which are sheep under the age of 1 year, are farmed for export. Their primary destinations are the Middle East and Africa. There, often while still conscious, they are slaughtered in blood sacrifice rituals by adherents of the religion of Militarism. Militarism is the ancient and still ongoing religion that sanctifies the ritual slaughter of living beings. The religion’s most persistent practice of ritual slaughter is of human beings on the battlefield. Militarism farms human ‘lambs’ – tender young boys mostly. The boys could be allowed to be the peaceful creatures they are, gentle and intelligent. Instead they are trained to be soldiers. They too are exported. Their primary destinations are also usually the Middle East and Africa. Most soldiers likely do their best to remain peaceful, gentle and intelligent. But once inside the cult of Militarism such a witness is difficult. Militarism is proudly violent, abusive and obedient. Soldiers thus struggle to be in ‘the great peaceful multitude, which no one can count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue who follow the lamb.’ Instead of living as lambs, soldiers are trained to slaughter lambs. Militarism uses a euphemism when it slaughters innocent ‘lamb’ life, collateral damage – the people slaughtered by soldiers unintentionally. But soldiers intend the slaughter of innocent life in their military campaign and use another euphemism to cover up that truth – proportionality. Proportionality means soldiers have calculated their slaughter of dead innocents within the military advantage they prioritize. So it is that Militarism’s soldiers in fatigues claim proportional collateral damage when slaughtering 14 innocent people in Mosul and 460,000 innocent Iraqis. As when it claims proportional collateral damage when it slaughters 10 innocent children in Kabul and 241,000 innocent Afghanis. Militarism’s soldiers in suits claim proportional collateral damage when slaughtering millions of innocent people in poverty: denying basic food and shelter, discriminating against women in jobs and social support who are trying to secure those needs. Militarism’s euphemism for its enslaving financial ritual slaughter is capitalism. Militarism also claims proportional collateral damage when slaughtering innocent human life in abortion: Planned Parenthood acknowledges capitalism’s impact on abortion – women denied abortion live in greater poverty, increased debt, and are more likely to have part time jobs. Militarism’s euphemism for its enslaving ethical ritual slaughter is Pro-Choice. Militarism’s ritual of slaughter influences people in the U.S. to be an entire nation of soldiers; violent, harsh, obedient in slaughtering lambs. What if in every barracks we placed not women to join men in slaughtering life but instead placed mothers there to teach soldiers to birth life and placed babies there to teach soldiers to nurture life?
“My teacher once entered a phase that whenever I would see him he would say, ‘Hafiz, How did you ever become a pregnant woman?’ I could only reply, ‘Dear One, you must be speaking the truth, but what you say is a mystery to me.” My teacher went on, “I can clearly see God has made love with you and the whole universe is germinating in your womb and such wonder and such enlightenment will take birth from you.” (Hafiz)
Prayer: Spirit, call forth our life-giving power.
Question: How can I live, and help others to live, gentle lives as mothers giving birth to and nurturing a world of tender children?
May 8, 2022 Gospel John 10:27-30 Fourth Sunday of Easter