A Real "Arab Spring"

There is no serious movement for democracy in the Middle East. The little bit of liberal/secular opposition to dictatorships is being consumed by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Any regimes that even think of working with Israel or the USA will be subject to protests and violence.

Our current Administration is naive at best and self-destructive at worst as it attempts "outreach" to Islamic movements. There has been no moderation, no negotiation, no evidence of any change except further radicalization.

Here are the real signs of an authentic "Arab Spring":

Denunciation of terrorism.

Official diplomatic recognition of the State of Israel (even within 1947-1949 borders). Agree to the Oslo Accords and let Jerusalem be the capital of two states that choose to cooperate instead of hurt each other.

Economic, political and social reform and services for the three generations of Palestinian refugees. The Arab world has enough money to make sure no one is in poverty.

End the violence against all other religious communities and allow freedom of press, religion and speech, even allowing women and men to change religious affiliation without fear.

End the oppression of women, allowing full access to educational and professional opportunities.

Join the global world of democracies, allowing fair and free elections and being accountable for where money is used.

I have a dream - a dream for all under the oppression of Sharia Law to be free - free to reinterpret an ancient religion; free to change affiliations; free to speak and think without fear; free to become the people God created them to be. This is the dream of our founders in 1776/1787. This is the dream of the Civil Rights Movement. This is the dream of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the "Prague Spring" of 1968. This is the dream fulfilled as the Berlin Wall came down.

President Obama, please stop appeasing leaders who want our destruction. Please stop alienating Israel. Please recognize that we have the history, political structure and diversity that gives us moral authority to influence the world for good.

If we do not remove our blinders, there is a clear and present danger that this pseudo Arab Spring will become the global winter of jihad.

One Event - Multiple Narratives

The death of Osama bin Laden is as close to a"fact" as we can assert. As a historian, I am fascinated by the context and significance of the event for different groups of people. OBL's death is confirmed by his followers, but there are multiple meanings we need to understand.

For most Americans, this is a brief moment of payback for the awful attack of 9/11/01 and the taunting messages of a leader in hiding, a coward who directed his minions to destroy our nation.

For most Muslims, this is a moment of relief, tempered with the hope that cooler heads will allow further rapprochement between "normal" Islam and the West. For the Islamic radicals, OBL is a new martyr who will inspire others to carry out his nefarious agenda.

For the Obama presidency, this is a welcome moment in the midst of economic sluggishness, legislative gridlock and the beginning of an interminable campaign for re-election. For Republicans, this is a moment that vindicates some of Bush's policies (is anyone talking about Gitmo any more?) and a chance to press the President on other issues.

For Pakistan, this event is an enormous embarrassment. OBL's presence at the compound had to be an open secret in several circles. For Al-Queda, this is a serious blow in spite of all the bluster. For other Muslim nations, this is a reminder of their own internal challenges as they balance realpolitik with accommodation of multiple radical factions.

For thoughtful people of every background, this is a moment to reflect. How are we going to protect our citizens while trying to win the hearts and minds of millions who are not yet radicalized but leaning in that direction? What military policies will be successful in rooting out terrorists while not creating a neo-colonial occupation by American and NATO forces? For all Americans, how can we create a hospitable and safe place for people from all lands to find a home here?

Chanting "USA, USA!" must give way to humility, prayer and service that will not allow hatred to find a home in many hearts. While we rejoice, let's reflect. While we praise our troops, let's purge ourselves of anger. While we debate meaning, let's find meaning in the good we do every day.

5-1-2011: A Date to Remember

Osama bin Laden is dead. Perhaps this is another historic "end of the beginning" (to paraphrase Winston Churchill) as civilized humankind confronts global terrorism. It is too early to prognosticate all the implications, but we can pause, praise our special forces personnel and take stock of what is needed to see real progress in this conflict.

Until the Eschaton, there will be enemies of all that is good and peaceful - radicalized persons who pervert faith and justice into hatred and violence. We will never eradicate every evil person, but we can make progress in our war on terror and impede the ability of these groups to find new recruits.

My prayer is that May 1, 2011 will be a date we remember because millions of people decided to abandon self-destructive narcissism and choose a life of faith, hope and love, serving God and others and finding identity and purpose in worship and service. In our fallen world, we need the military sometimes. In a world longing for redemption, we must confront unexplainable challenges. We must combat terror with truth, ideology with insight and perversion of religion with genuine piety and righteousness.

This week marks the passing of a great spiritual leader, David Wilkerson, founder of Teen Challenge and Times Square Church and a formidable preacher of uncompromising truth rooted in the unconditional love of Christ. Today marks the beatification of Pope John Paul II, a tireless ambassador for freedom and one of the men responsible for the fall of the Iron Curtain. From his resistance to the Nazis in WWII in Poland, to his outreach to the world, he exemplified faith and humility joined with political acumen and pragmatism. These two men exemplify the courage and love we need to turn our nation and the world toward real justice.

Please join me as we reaffirm faith and first principles, commit to justice and peace and refuse to capitulate to fear. Such virtue cannot come without inner transformation. Such a work of grace is ours if we will believe the message of Easter.

Serving

As I join multitudes of Christians around the world in Holy Week reflection and worship, I celebrate the unity of our one, holy, catholic and apostolic faith that expresses itself in many languages, liturgies and locations. From African churches without walls to grand cathedrals a millennium old, people are gathering to remember the great events that are the historical core of Christianity. Jesus of Nazareth prayed with great agony on Maundy Thursday and was crucified by Roman authorities on Good Friday. Suspended between two criminals, the religious and political powers were happy to be rid of his subversive words and works. Holy Saturday brought a Sabbath hush to a city embroiled in controversy.

But Christian faith does not rest on a good rabbi who is a martyr. Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus' physical resurrection, his triumph over death that infuses his suffering with the power to forgive, heal and reconcile humankind to God and one another. C.S. Lewis, in his classic work, Mere Christianity, stated the good news of Christ succinctly: "Jesus' death puts us right with God." N.T. Wright echoes this same theme when he asserts that the death and resurrection of Jesus assures us of God's promise to "put the world to rights."

On Easter, billions will proclaim, "He is Risen!" and then respond, "He is Risen, indeed!" Such a simple affirmation - yet it transforms life now and forever.

As I ponder the depths of being a follower of Jesus, I am drawn to the central verse of the Gospel of Mark. Chapter 10 verse 45 captures the heart of Jesus' disposition, discipline and desire: "For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many." For this essay, I will leave aside all the theories of the atonement that Christians passionately debate. Instead, I want to focus on the subversive nature of choosing a life of service instead of selfishness. Jesus the Messiah (Christ), the King, the Lord, demonstrates his authority and power through serving those who cannot return the favor and calling on his followers to imitate his example: "A new command I give to you: that you love one another as I have loved you. By this will all men know that you are my disciples..." (Gospel of John, chapter 13 verses 34 and 35)

St. Paul will affirm the same attitudes and choices in his encouragement to the Philippians: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but is humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others." Paul then urges his friends to consider the pathway of Jesus. It was not a pathway of enlightened hedonism or rugged individualism, but one of of integrity and intentionality that seeks the good of others.

Service is at the core of all good human activity. It is so much more than volunteering or trying to assuage our guilt with giving. Service is not self-abasement or self-salvation. Service is actually the road to real joy. In addition to volunteer activities and charitable and missionary efforts, consider the following rather surprising notions:

Business is service. When done ethically, the provider is offering goods and services needed by others and there is an exchange of resources. God's world is fashioned so that humankind can create wealth that will enable individuals, families and communities to prosper.

Fulfilling our personal destiny cannot be done in isolation - we all need others to realize our dreams! If we serve well, from providing water to parched villages to singing a magnificent aria to thousands, we are offering the world our best and making it a better place.

Political leadership is service. This is more than bringing home tax largess to a district. Political service requires great wisdom as leaders consider the needs of individuals and the nation. Politicians love to call themselves "public servants" and brazenly speak about their "sacrifices" in leaving the private economy. The reality is that ambition has overtaken humility, power and wealth have subverted careful stewardship and enslavement to special interests makes accountability to constituents a tertiary aim, behind personal power and cronyism. There are some notable exceptions and I am hopeful that local and national representatives will reaffirm their call to service.

Finally, in honor of Holy Week, all Christians need to realize that worshiping God is more than an event. Deeply fulfilling spiritual experiences are found in the liturgies of the people of God. But Christian worship includes everyday activities: how we work and play, save and spend, sacrificially give and take moments to rest. Worship is service. The Bible is replete with calls to bless, praise and worship the Lord. But the same texts call upon all believers to honor God with their lives and well as their lips, with service to those who cannot return the favor as well as sacraments in a sanctuary.

Family life is rich when service is the center. If each spouse is the champion and partner of the other's success, they will flourish. if parents will serve their children with real time and attention, they will become healthy adults.

Salvation comes through the grace of God, received by humble hearts who believe that Jesus' death and resurrection is God's gift for forgiveness and hope. The evidence of belief is behavior - not perfection, but purity of heart put into practice. We do not stand in "holier-than-thou" judgment of others, but make our compassion concrete by action for others, regardless of return.

Spirituality, politics, family life, community outreach and business are all rooted in an ethos of service. Imagine what would happen if millions of us woke up every morning and (after our coffee - let's be realistic!) offered this prayer, "Lord, help me add value to others today and honor you in serving others." Profits will grow, needs will be met, families will thrive and we will be fulfilled.

When we are secure in the good news of God's grace, we are liberated to serve. We are not earning our place in heaven, but bringing the future into the present. We are not giving to get because we have already received a gift that will keep on giving for eternity. Let's celebrate Easter by serving - in every way we can.

Love

In our data-driven, sound-bite (or byte) world, words create worlds of anarchy or community, of mutual understanding or polemical alienation. We hold ourselves hostage to our solipsistic creations, arguing vacuously and wondering why others "just don't get it." In my last essay, I posited that justice is a deep, rich cry from the soul pointing to a universal in human consciousness, a principle I believe points to a Transcendent Creator. However God is conceived (or denied), justice matters in human affairs and our search for its norms really matters. When we avoid the either/or fallacy and stop manufacturing false combinations (If you are against abortion, you must be for war, etc.), there is hope for a better, more civil society. Another word that either enslaves or liberates is Love. Immediately all kinds of ideas, images, and feelings come to mind, from a Hollywood love story to Mother Theresa's efforts in Calcutta. We read daily of people falling in and out of love. If we crack open a Bible, we discover that God's love is the root and fruit of all other virtues. From the classical Greek literature to C.S. Lewis, thinkers have distinguished various types of love, from erotic connections (eros) to comrades on a battlefield (storge), to friendship (phileo) to altruistic, self-donating action for others (agape). All four of these loves are important to human flourishing; however, the last two are essential for a civil and virtuous society that offers maximal personal freedom and community cohesion. C.S. Lewis once said, "Friends look in the same direction." We need to cultivate healthy friendships, across ethnicity, cultures, genders, and religious affiliations. A spirit of brotherly/sisterly love (the heart of phileo) conceives of others as part of the same family and works to ensure their protection and opportunities to flourish. Such good affections also create virtuous boundaries so that brothers and sisters do not exploit each other - in fact, rather that staring at each other, they are engaged in play and work that is meaningful. Sustaining such friendships and extending hospitality beyond our inner circles of blood, culture and soil is a noble aim; however, a deeper love must animate us if we are going to enjoy mutual respect. This is agape love, the love that wills the highest good for others and gives out of abundance, without expectations of return. Already I hear the behaviorists arguing that altruism is impossible and I am naively suggesting that humankind is above the rest of animate creation. Other suspicious readers see me sneaking in Theism under the veil of universal love. To all critical thinkers let me be clear. Agape love is possible because humankind is made in the image of God, a God who is Eternal Love and delights to share that love with us. But humankind is also deeply flawed, capable of incredible evil and in need of transformation. As a Christian, I forthrightly declare that faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ is the way to a new nature, a new destiny and transformed relationships. In a pluralistic society, however, not all share my faith, but all can aspire to love that is more than self-centered passion or quid pro quo negotiation. Throughout history we see women and men of all traditions living for the good of others and sacrificially donating resources and time so that liberty and justice advance. America needs a revival of love. Yes, I believe the best way for this to happen is a decisive, personal encounter with Jesus Christ, who is God's full and final Word to a world. While I will pray and work for such an awakening, there are more modest fruits of love worth working for as well:

• I want for my neighbor all the same liberties I desire for myself.


• Life is more than my current desires, it is about preparing a better future for others.


• Love is not agreeing on everything or accepting any opinion - it is respecting others you profoundly differ with and searching for ways to work together while debating fundamental ideas.


• Love is not an opposite of justice - it is the real center and circumference of justice. Punishing evil is necessary if we love others and want their safety. Offering redemption and remediation to perpetrators is an essential part of a just world as well.


• Love is not the absence of anger - it is anger transformed into altruistic action.


• Agape love is the proper context for all other affections, from erotic attraction to loyalty as friends.

When I turn on the news or read debates, the missing ingredient is unselfish love. Passion is fine, debate is needed, but it seems that our entire culture is awash with fear and narcissism. We can and must do better. The future of our neighborhood and planet depend on the decisions we make today. I choose Love.