Clarion: Journal of Spirituality and Justice

"He who joyfully marches..." -- Albert Einstein

He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt.  He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder. (Albert Einstein)

Be One and Love -- by Eric H. Janzen

What follows came as I reflected on the idea that Christians are a sign in the world pointing to Jesus Christ and the kingdom of heaven.  In his book “The Presence of the Kingdom” Jaques Ellul presents this idea and states that it is the Christian's primary role in life to be this sign.  I found this to be a compelling and powerful idea.

We are to be this sign on the road for humanity as they wander spiritual paths seeking truth and meaning.  A common belief is that all ways lead to God.  However, Christ's followers are the signs along the One Way pointing to the One Truth and Life, Jesus.  This message is vital for at least two reasons.  First, it simply is not true that all ways lead to God.  This is the reality of the spiritual landscape.  It does us no good to pretend that it is otherwise and it may not be a popular move to state it so plainly, but there it is none the less.  Those seeking God along the wrong road deserve to know that they are going the wrong way and it falls to Christ's community to sound the alarm.  Other roads may lead to genuine spiritual powers, but they are not the One God, and thus they are pretenders to a throne that is not theirs to sit upon.

The Olympics: A Call to Resistance -- by David Diewert

Shared with permission from Streams of Justice:

The Olympic Games constitute a key mechanism among a whole array of political and economic strategies for shaping our desires and leading us along in the relentless pursuit of comfort, security and power. It is a spectacular demonstration of the triumph of capitalism with its imperatives of competition and consumption, and the reaffirmation of state power in guaranteeing public order and security, all wrapped in the mesmerizing distraction of sport and entertainment. It celebrates the supremacy of corporate and state power under the guise of a benign athletic event of global cooperation. It is a remarkably effective tool for deepening our ideological entrapment in a system of power that is the antithesis of the kingdom of God announced by Jesus and the way of the cross. In this sense, the Olympics are analogous to the what the devil offered Jesus in the wilderness.

While there are no doubt many reasons for critical opposition to the Olympics, here are five that warrant careful consideration...

Counter-Terrorism: Building Bridges with a Nation’s Diaspora -- by C. Kerr

The nature of terrorism in the contemporary world has attachments to cultures, faiths and people groups.  It is important to recognize that not all members of these communities associate, and at times, distance themselves from such ideologies.  It is vital for nations to be able to build bridges with its various diaspora communities.  Doing so will ensure these communities are not painted with the same brush as terrorists and lessen the chance of radicalization.  Therefore, building bridges of understanding will only aid in the development of national security for all. 

Jesus Christ: Arms Dealer -- by Ward Draper

Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? The woman said to the serpent, we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' You will not surely die, the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.[1]

On Crucifying the Prophetic Ego -- by Brad Jersak

Follow-up to “Pied Piper Prophets”

The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less. Jn 3:29f

One of the great difficulties for truly prophetic people is when they hear from the Lord and are called to deliver a message, if the church leadership doesn't receive the word or respond in the way that the prophet sees fit. In those moments, it can feel like the church is rejecting the word, rejecting the prophet and rejecting the Lord's will. And this may even be true.

The Canvas - part 1 -- by A.G.

i open my eyes and right in front of me is a work of art on a canvas,
it stretches up as high as i can see,
as far down as i can see,
as far to the left and to the right of me as i can see.

the background is quite dark,
the colors muted.
people's faces are not more than blotches, indistinguishable.
i am aware that time has both eroded and left a layers of pollutants on it
it is not what is was meant to be. 
restoration is calling.

The Canvas - part 2 -- by A.G.

the canvas - is His canvas
the pencil, His
the pen,
the hand, His

the thought,
the word,
the hope,
the truth,

all of these things He has given to you...  He has woven in you...
that you would touch the expanse of eternity