Jesus tells a parable of a “man who plants a vineyard” and “leases it to tenants” (chief priests and elders). When the man sends servants (peacemakers) and then his son (Jesus), to obtain the yield, the chief priests and elders do violence, ultimately colluding, “Come, let us kill him.”
Colluding to kill is what rulers do. Often, rulers will hire troops of soldiers to do the killing, domestically called police. Individuals influenced toward the violent profession do all they can to remain true to conscience while in it. The profession is, however, inherently violent and erodes conscience, to varying degrees. Thus, it is grievously disappointing and terrorizing but not surprising that police went to the wrong address, killed Ismael Lopez, shooting him in the back of the head, and were not charged; that police killed 14 year old Josef Richardson, shooting him in the back of the neck and were not charged; that in a case of mistaken identity police killed Immanueal Clark-Johnson shooting him in the back and were not charged, and on it goes. It is also grievously disappointing and terrorizing but not surprising that every year approximately 250,000 injuries are caused by police and more than 600 people are killed by police. It is also grievously disappointing and terrorizing but not surprising that police want more lethal weapons and lethal training centers. One example is Cop City in Atlanta, Georgia. It is being built for a cost of $90 million. The problem with Cop City and other police training sites is the same problem with policing, the normalization unto sanctification of killing. To assert gang violence is solved with police violence is unsupported by data or history. Social welfare programs related to heathy schools, businesses, and community centers have the support of data and history as solving the problem of gangs. Killing is part of the problem of violence and not a resolution of it. Quakers, historic peacemakers, opposed to Cop City, identify 5 major problems with it. First, it fuels and expands the criminalization, incarceration, and militarization of marginalized people – training officers include members of the Israeli Defense Forces. Second, the people do not want it – over 70% keep opposing it at each step yet officials keep advancing it. It is opposed as yet another example of “organized abandonment,” strategies of classist and racist domination that weaken and abandon the common good, like schools and businesses, while they strengthen and build the oppressive bad, like predatory loan offices and prisons. Third, Cop City is bad for the climate – it is using up open green space that could be kept for nature conservancy or parks. Fourth, police killed a Cop City protester – 26-year-old environmental activist Manuel “Tortugita” Teran who was shot over 50 times by police though seated cross legged with hands up. Fifth, police are criminalizing nonviolence – they are assigning felony counts to distributing flyers and raiding nonviolent support sites charging attendees with domestic terrorism hindering conscientious challenge to the violence center. No vineyard, no nation, no people survive the policy to kill. It is a reason for the demise of U.S. culture. It is why Jesus ends the vineyard parable saying to the chief priests and elders, “Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be… given to a people that will produce its fruit.” Peacemakers are that fruitful people.
MACBETH — I have done the deed… But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”? I had most need of blessing, and “Amen” Stuck in my throat. LADY MACBETH — These deeds must not be thought… they will make us mad. MACBETH — Methought I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.”… Still it cried, “Sleep no more!”… I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on it again, I dare not… How is it with me, when every noise appalls me? What hands are here!… Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hands?” (MacBeth – William Shakespeare)
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, save us peacefully from those who would save us violently.
Question: Amidst this culture’s normalization of killing how am I fruitful?
October 8, 2023 Gospel Matthew 21:33-43 Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time