An axis of hope

Lutheran, The, May 2002 by Miller, David L

Bombs may subdue enemies, but they never build a safer world

Spontaneous applause interrupted the March ELCA Conference of Bishops gathering only once. It happened during an address by Christian Krause, president of the Lutheran World Federation and retired bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick (Germany).

Alluding to President Bush's State of the Union speech that labeled Iran, Iraq and North Korea "an axis of evil," Krause challenged: "How about calling for an axis of hope, faith and love rather than trying to find out who are the bad guys and who are the good guys?" The bishops' applause was immediate, prolonged and on target.

"Hope" and "confidence in the mercy of God" is sorely needed, Krause said, as religious, ethnic and ideological polarization threatens to balkanize the world into a series of warring camps, each possessed by the need to dominate those they fear.

Unfortunately, Bush's comment exacerbates this dangerous-and ultimately faithless-preoccupation. His rhetoric simplistically defines nations in terms of our needs, fears and anger. It fixes the identity of entire peoples as essentially opposed to us, ignoring their needs, legitimate aspirations and groups within their societies with whom we share values and interests.

It fans war fever to convince us that military options are the only real solution to destructive leaders and governments. It depersonalizes entire peoples so we no longer see them, lest we notice the destruction our national policies wreak on nations we demonize.

Seldom is this clearer than in Iraq, where a failed embargo policy has significantly contributed to the premature death of hundreds of thousands, mostly the poor and children. To many Iraqis, America is part of an axis of evil-one that includes their own leaders. Yet, various polls have shown that more than 80 percent of Americans are ready to go to war to deal with Saddam Hussein, a cure that would likely be much worse than the disease.

Axis of evil rhetoric blinds us to the reality that life is an interconnected web. No person or nation is an island. Our Creator God fashions a unity in which each element is intimately connected with every other. Put simply, what happens to Iraq sooner or later shows up at our door. That's the way life is built. Bombs may subdue enemies, but they never build a safer world, even for the victor.

That's why Krause's words are more realistic, hopeful and faithful. His call for an axis of hope recognizes the true nature of creation and of God, who constantly sends the Spirit, the Source of Life (Genesis 1), "to renew the face of the earth" (Psalm 104: 30).

Trusting this, the church and its service agencies have long been able to cross forbidden boundaries to work and serve with so-called "enemies." Iraq and North Korea are but two such"rogue" nations in which Lutherans and other Western Christians have found people with whom they could make a common cause against hunger, hate and disease.

People of faith see differently-or at least they can. Less concerned with identifying enemies and drawing sides, they seek signs of the Spirit, who flies unperturbed across the boundaries created by human fears.

Where politicians and pundits see barriers, the church finds companions with whom it can join to oppose the barbarism of death. United in this opposition, we become the axis of hope for which Krause called, created by the Spirit, sharing in God's loving dream for all things.

Wherever we find people truly affirming the beauty, preciousness, indeed, the sacredness of life, there we find the Spirit of Life creating an axis of hope-and the energy of God's future appears, creating a spiral not of violence but of love, working a justice that alone holds the promise of peace.

The church lives as a Pentecost community, faithfully paying attention to where the fullness of life is threatened and to how it can share the labor of the Spirit of Life. Seeing this, what the world needs and what God wants is no mystery. The mystery is why so many would rather line up enemies than seek companions.