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While I have not been personally involved in the Occupy Movement, I have been following it with great interest. Not only is this international movement garnering the attention of the world, but it is also been engaged with by Christians who are passionate to do justice (as well as those who reject it’s claims and cause as illegitimate). For myself, I affirm the heart of the movement in its desire to speak truth in collective non-violence. Is it above reproach or criticism? Of course not, but the much of what we are seeing echoes with prophetic authority, naming injustice and calling for change. I find that very encouraging indeed.
However, the popular nature of these events also create challenges of their own. Many participants see these public events and fail to make adequate connections with the foundations upon which such movements have been built. Take for example the famous Salt Satyagrahah that Gandhi led in non-violent protest to the British salt monopoly and general occupation of India. For all those who are inspired by this historic march and seek to replicate the change through similar events today, most are unfamiliar with the years of work by countless women and men that laid the foundation for such a movement to rise up in maturity and authority.
It is like watching an egg mature to the time of hatching: From the outside it appears as though nothing is happening, then suddenly a new life breaks forth out of nowhere. In truth, what goes unseen is the long process of gestation, the delicate and incremental changes that led up to the moment of birth. In the same way, the dynamic and public nature of such events like those in the Occupy Movement can draw many people who do not understand the complexity of the problems they are facing nor the solutions that will be necessary for meaningful change. None of this disqualifies the movement, but it should be a significant source of caution, especially for Christians.
However, my bigger concern lies- not so much with movement itself, but rather with tendency among some Christians to frame it as a kingdom movement. Anyone who knows me knows that I am passionate about justice as a central aspect of kingdom work. However, I am concerned by the trend seems to equate any (legitimate) social justice work as essentially kingdom work. As Scot McKnight recently said:
“Justice gospelers today tend toward political activism, the summons for more Christians to see compassion for the poor and better laws and peace in the world, and toward a kingdom language.”
Like McKnight, I am convinced that the work of the gospel significantly includes working towards a just society (which I again affirm the Occupy Movement for work towards), yet also share his concern that “Justice is the inevitable result and implication of the gospel but not the same as the gospel”. Thankfully there are many Christians engaging in the Occupy Movement who are not making this mistake, but many are confusing the two. Too often we make the prophetic rebuke or correction the central act of doing justice. In other words, we have allowed social justice activism to define our kingdom justice more so than the reverse.
While we will always need voices of prophetic correction in a world riddled with injustice, they are never meant to be the primary response to the problem(s). The Story of God clearly demonstrates that such messages leave the messenger at great risk from those they call to repentance and justice. Further, such voices are always held to a high standard, not only because they make suck rebukes in the name of God, but because any hypocrisy in the messenger threatens the authority and authenticity of the message itself.
Instead, the primary place for the work of kingdom justice is in and through the community of the crucified, the Body of Christ, the Church. It is in living according the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, made possible by His life, death, resurrection, and empowered the by Holy Spirit, who He sent to unite us as His Body for His purposes for His glory. As we live together with Christ- as Christ- in a broken and watching world, justice will necessarily be a product of the kingdom. I am not suggesting it will just happen- it will require intentionality, of course. However, it will look very different from the world in which we live- it will be an upside-down kingdom in light of the values and expectations and norm of our world.
And so, while I believe that, as Christians, we can and should be engaged in the Occupy Movement, we must be cautious not to get too caught up in the hype and excitement of the popular nature of these events. Nor should we allow these kinds of movements to primarily define our commitment to justice. For if we are about the gospel life that Jesus invites us to enter, we won’t have the time to make such events our primary concern. Living the kingdom of God together, hopefully we will be otherwise occupied.
