Meditation on Water

Because Easter was so late this year, the annual Earth Day celebration fell on Good Friday.  After considering this unusual convergence, and seeking some point of commonality, it occurred to me that water is central both to the life of Jesus and the life of our planet.

Examples of the role that water played in Jesus’ life are easy to find in the gospel narratives.  His ministry began with his baptism by John in the River Jordan, and his first recorded miracle involved turning water into wine.  Most of his public ministry took place on and around the Sea of Galilee; indeed, a number of his disciples were by trade fishermen, earning their livelihoods in intimate connection with the sea.  Familiar sea stories include Jesus’ calming the waves during a storm, walking on water as he approached a ship carrying his friends, and preaching to the crowds while seated in a boat a bit offshore. 

Just War Theory

Just War Theory is the primary doctrine which permits Christians to participate in armed conflict.  It is useful to apply these criteria to the on-going so-called War on Terror.

Virtually all students of early church history agree that early Christianity was essentially pacifist in belief and practice.  As Christianity moved from being counter-cultural to being the established religion of the Roman Empire, church leaders adopted and refined what has come to be known as the Just War Theory.  This legal and moral code delineates for what cause and under what circumstances war may justly be waged by nation-states.  It was first articulated by the Roman statesman Cicero (first century BCE) but has roots in earlier practice. 

Christian Responses to War

This article was first published when the U.S. had just invaded Iraq.  Eight years later we are embroiled in three wars in the Middle East and Northern Africa - in Afghanistan and Iraq, and most recently in Libya.  While the loudest Christian voices in our media tend to advocate for either Just War or Crusade, it is important to remember that there are other Christian responses to war.

Despite the vigorous efforts of religious leaders and millions of their followers worldwide to advocate alternative solutions, war began in Iraq about two weeks ago [March 2003].  In the early days of the conflict there was some discussion on our Unitas (Moravian) email list about Christian approaches to armed conflict.  The Rev. Sam Gray, a Moravian minister who serves New Hope Moravian Congregation in Miami, Florida, posted a brief description of five general categories of thought on war which are current in various segments of the Christian community.  This column will expand on the outline that Pastor Sam provided as a way of focusing discussion. 

Interviewing the Roman Guard

During Easter season it can be good to be aware of some of the context in which the first Holy Week took place.  In the following piece, Sixtus and Justinius are fictional, but all the other characters and events are based on historical records.  The Record-Express is the name of the newspaper in which this first appeared.

As everyone must know by now, all the garrisons in the city have been on high alert for the past two weeks.  The Roman authorities always anticipate trouble around Passover, and this year was no exception.  Last Saturday we were able to interview a couple of soldiers who were standing guard duty in front of a tomb in a garden near the area known as Golgotha. 

Record-Express: Can you please introduce yourselves and tell our readers what you are doing here?  It’s a bit unusual to be guarding a tomb, isn’t it?

First Guard: My name is Justinius and I’ve been stationed in this back-water province of the empire for seven years now.  That fellow over there is Sixtus.  What we’re doing is trying to prevent any more trouble from that Galilean gang. 

Sixtus:  Yeah, we caught their ringleader yesterday and took care of him in a hurry.  What’s left of him is in this tomb behind us.  Usually getting rid of the leader makes the rest of a gang see the uselessness of any more rebellion against the great and mighty Caesar.  But this guy apparently made some claim about being able to rise from the dead, so we’re here to make sure that none of his followers steals the body and puts out some tall tale about his making good on his promise.