Tread lightly on the things of earth

Today I attended the small-town, west Tennessee United Methodist church I grew up in, part of honoring my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.

I’ve hardly set foot in a Methodist church for 20+ years, so I was surprised today on hearing the World Methodist Council Social Affirmation for the first time (“adopted by WMC [in] 1986”).

I was struck by the following thoughts:

• This affirmation of faith is beautiful

• In its beauty this affirmation convicts U.S. actions under the Bush Administration (convicts in the legal sense, “to find guilty of an offense or crime,” highlighting a severe disconnect between words and deeds)

See what I mean, especially in the center section:

We rejoice in every sign of God’s Kingdom;
     in the upholding of human dignity and community;
     in every expression of love, justice and reconciliation;
     in each act of self-giving on behalf of others;
     in the abundance of God’s gifts
     entrusted to us that all may have enough;
     in all responsible use of the earth’s resources. …

We confess our sin, individual and collective, by silence or action:

• through the violation of human dignity based on race, class, age, sex, nation, or faith;
• through the exploitation of people because of greed and indifference
• through the misuse of power in personal, communal, national, and international life;
• through the search for security by those military and economic forces that threaten human existence;
• through the abuse of technology which endangers the earth and all life upon it. …

We commit ourselves individually and as a community
     to the way of Christ:
     to take up the cross;
     to seek abundant life for all humanity;
     to struggle for peace with justice and freedom;
     to risk ourselves in faith, hope, and love,
     praying that God’s kingdom may come.

Is this affirmation true to the gospel? I think it is.

Despite all our “Christian” talk at the U.S. national level, <understatement>we’re not exercising the plain meaning of this affirmation.</understatement>

A reasonable prayer, seems to me then, is that this affirmation’s meaning would further convict Administration personnel in the theological sense, “to make aware of one’s sinfulness or guilt.” What a glorious day that’d be, in heaven and on earth, if repentance emanated from the White House, setting an example for all of us, instead of emanating its opposite, self-righteous arrogance.

United Methodism is Mr. Bush’s denomination. If this affirmation is representative, his denomination gets it.

No wonder he [reportedly] never goes to church. These are hard words to face/affirm until one truly intends them.

• How might things be different if he did?

• How might things be different if we lived this way?