Volume 5, Issue 2 | Spring 2017
Peripateo the Swarthmore College Journal of Christian Discourse
Christianity: Gain, not Loss by Sawyer Lake
Also in this issue:
Christian Civil Obedience
by Tobias Philip
Faithful Activism
by Joyce Tompkins
A Letter from the Editor Dear Reader, Swarthmore is an institution overflowing with opportunities, resources, and passions. Members of the community are equipped to learn about social causes, and they have a burning desire to participate in constructive dialogue surrounding these topics.The mantra of Swarthmore is to make the world a better place. But, I want to ask, where does that desire come from? Why do so many of us have the common conception that things in this world aren’t right--that the world needs to be changed somehow? The intensity of this campus often leaves us with little time to contemplate questions such as these, and one may even dismiss asking such things as being unproductive and unnecessary. But we, the staff of Peripateo, believe it is vital to take the time to consider them. We also, as followers of Christ, believe that the answers lie within the confines of faith and God. In no way do we have all the answers, but we constantly search for them in relation to our belief in God’s Word. This journal was created to be a space for people to grapple with answers to difficult questions regarding faith and theology, as well as to discuss academic concepts, reflect on life experiences, and express thoughts and emotions through art, all from the perspective of the Christian faith. As a staff, our faith is the greatest priority and purpose of our lives, so we seek to think and talk about all aspects of our lives with it as the foundation. But while this journal is created in a Christian context, it is by no means limited to a Christian audience. We invite you to engage in this dialogue regardless of your beliefs and backgrounds. In this issue, you will find timely but differing perspectives on Christian political resistance in Tobias Philips’ piece, “Christian Civil Obedience: Seeking Christ’s Political Ethic” and in Joyce Tompkins’ piece, “Faithful Action.” You will also find Professor Mark Wallace’s testimony of how he came to understand reading Scripture, and Chris Chan’s reflection of his time at a camp serving children affected by various developmental challenges. As you read, please consider, appreciate, and challenge the ideas expressed in the articles. Or, just sit with them and let them sink in. As the name of our journal, which in Greek can mean “to walk around in,” suggests, we desire for staff, contributors, and readers to walk around in our collection of thoughts and reflections, choosing to interact with them in the way that is most meaningful to them. Ultimately, we want the reading of this journal to give you a break from the intensity of Swarthmore. Though the topics dealt with in these pieces may require critical thinking and intellectual engagement, we hope the endeavor is like breath of fresh air, an experience that is different from the day to day activities of Swarthmore.
Photo by Timothy Greco
Juhyae Kim Editor-in-Chief
i | Letter from the Editor
IN THIS ISSUE Christian Civil Disobediance 2
Essays
by Tobias Philip
Faithful Action 6 by Joyce Thompkins
Christianity: Gain, not Loss 10 Reflections by Sawyer Lake
The Rule of Love and the 12 Witness of Scripture by Professor Mark Wallace
Dealing with the Downtime 14 by Juhyae Kim
Sparrows
8 Ar t and Poetry
by Rebecca Zhou
Wonderfully Made 9 by Chris Chan
Peripateo
the Swarthmore College Journal of Christian Discourse
Editorial Staff
Juhyae Kim ’19 Michael Broughton ’19
Emily Audet ’18 Heitor Santos ’17 Nate Lamb ’17 Matthew Olivencia ’18 Irene Tang ’19 Rebecca Zhou ’19 Jasmine Betancourt ’20 Elizabeth Erler ’20 Sawyer Lake ’20 Tobias Philip ’20
Editor-in-Chief Executive Editor Business Manager Design Manager Design Editor Editor Editor Design Editor Design Design Editor, Design
Contributors
Chris Chan ’17 Timothy Greco ’19 Juhyae Kim ’19 Sawyer Lake ’20 Tobias Philip ’20 Rebecca Zhou ’19 Joyce Ulrich Tompkins Professor Mark Wallace
Who We Are
Peripateo seeks to reconcile faith and academia by engaging religious issues through an intellectual
lens. Coming from a variety of Christian traditions, we seek to represent a diversity of perspectives. We
believe that the message of Jesus Christ has power-
ful implications for our daily lives and the world at large. Our goal is to fuse creativity and intellectualism in this journal to invite readers into a thought-
ful discourse: what role does God play in our lives? What are the ways that a Christian perspective both
complements and complicates an academic one?
Read our previous issues at https://issuu.com/swarthmoreperipateo
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Christian Civil Obedience Seeking Christ’s Political Ethic by Tobias Philip
When faced with a govern-
ment inimical to Christian values in a world saturated with injustice, Christians find themselves obligated to work towards change. The Bible is inundated with injunctions to pursue societal justice;1 “learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed.”2 Nevertheless, when evil has reached the organs of the State, and has even been absorbed into law, Christians are torn between the right subjection owed to legitimate government and the impulse to resist. In the apostles’ letters and Christ’s own submission to the Roman state, secular power is shown to be derived from God, and Christians are thus bound by temporal law. The existence of unjust laws, then, creates a difficult situation for the Christian who practices civil disobedience. In our nation, marred as it is by deep division, political strife has recently manifested in violence, and resistance to the President has caused unabashed breaches of the law. Whatever the immorality that we may perceive in our government, Christ bids us to offer our submission, insofar as God’s law allows, in reverence for the God-given power that rules us. Considering the relative religious free-
2 | Christian Civil Obedience
dom we enjoy today, it is easy to forget that the Christian religion was born under an oppressive state. Whereas believers today in the United States and similar nations may face undue pressures from the State in their exercise of public practice, the early Christians were seldom guaranteed their very survival. Very much aware of their lives’ temporality, Christians in the early Church regarded themselves as pilgrims in their lives on earth. Tertullian, a second to third century Church apologist, is well known to have written that “nothing is more foreign to us [Christians] than the state.”3 And, rightly so, as Christ himself clarified, “my kingdom is not of this world.”4 To the association of believers, for whom earthly life is but a way-stop to life eternal, nothing could be more indifferent than matters of State. This attitude carried over to the writings of Saint Augustine, perhaps the first great Christian political theorist. Augustine denied that the Platonic ideal for the perfect society of men could ever be realized on earth. For him, “there is only one true republic in which perfect peace, harmony, justice, and satisfaction are assured to all citizens; that society is the civitas Dei, which exists eternally in God’s heaven and is the goal of
God’s elect while they sojourn as pilgrims in this sin-ridden, wretched earthly life.”5 Only in heaven can man experience perfect society, while the world is bound to experience unrest. Christ even promised his disciples persecution, saying, “in the world you shall have distress.”6 With this counsel in mind, Augustine did not advise Christians to withdraw from civil society, quite the contrary, but he was certain not to conflate the end of the State with that of the Church, which is the salvation of believers. What, then, is the end ordained to the State? Certainly it is a force for good, as Saint Paul, who praised temporal authority even as he died by it, wrote, “for princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil...For he is God’s minister to thee, for good.”7 Using an Aristotelian argument, Thomas Aquinas reasoned that a ruler is a necessary directive principle whereby the many members of human society may be led to a common end.8 The common end that the State facilitates is human fulfilment, insofar as man can be fulfilled in his temporal life. The State as a human society, however, can only assist in purely human goods, which exclude the eternal salvation for which Christ is the only way. Human
fulfilment finds its ideal setting in community, since “it is better therefore that two should be together, than one: for they have the advantage of their society.”9 If there is to be a properly functioning community of individuals, moreover, there must be leadership by some element of the community. For this reason the State is necessary: to direct a community of human beings on earth and protect them, for as it is written, “where there is no governor, the people shall fall.”10 The peace established by the State, however, must not be identified with heavenly peace, of which Christ says “not as the world giveth, do I give unto you.”11 The end of the State, though inferior to that of the Church, is nevertheless one appointed by God. Therefore, Paul commands: “let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God.”12 This statement alone is sufficient for an explicit warrant of the divine right of rulership. Dante, moreover, makes a fairly convincing argument that the very salvation of mankind depends on the legitimacy of the State. His logic is as follows: unless Christ’s punishment was under a power of “penal jurisdiction,” it would not be just punishment,
but simply murder unauthorized by divine providence, and, unless Christ’s death was just punishment, it could not be a satisfaction for our sins.13 Therefore, unless the Roman governor exercised authority over Jesus Christ, we could not be saved. Of course, the crucifixion of the most innocent man ever to live is per se unjust, but the executive permission God gave to Pilate in fulfilment of the highest justice was the greatest legitimization the State has ever received. God did not choose to hand his only son over to the mobs to be murdered, but to the lawful ministry of the Roman governor, thus establishing the State as God’s chosen instrument of salvation. Christ told Pontius Pilate “thou shouldst not have any power against me, unless it were given thee from above.”14 Either Pilate has no power over Christ, or Pilate’s power over Christ was given by God. Clearly Pilate had power over Christ, else he could not crucify him. Therefore, Pilate’s power was divinely authorized. Pilate did, indeed, act unjustly insofar as he killed an innocent man, but he did so in the service of a greater justice unknown to him, namely the satisfaction of sin. In no way does the State’s role in salvation history absolve it from all unjust acts,
but if God permitted the State to kill his own son, then how much more should he permit the “social injustice” to whose defeat many Christians dedicate their lives? Since secular government arises from sacred ordinance, it is the duty of every Christian to obey the lawful authority. Justin Martyr, a second century Christian apologist, defended the Christian sense of civic responsibility to the Romans, saying, “whence to God alone we render worship, but in other things we gladly serve you.”15 Christians are religiously, as well as legally, obligated to civil obedience in reverence for Christ’s words, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s,” which not only distinguishes religious and secular authority, but also enjoins us to obedience of the temporal ruler along with God.16 Let us not forget that this government to which Christ instructed his disciples to pay taxes would use those very tax funds to carry out an agenda of religious persecution, expansionist war, and slavery among other acts of injustice. Nevertheless, as Christians we are bidden by Christ himself to obey those governments even to the point of financial support of evil regimes, when we are thus
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commanded by the law. Such a juxtaposition of religious and temporal duty appears again in Peter’s admonition, “Fear God. Honour the king.”17 If such an injunction could be made in an empire that martyred Christians, then the laws of the State are binding, not only insofar as they are agreeable to any particular individual, but per se as laws of the State. Unjust laws present a problem of conscience for Christians, who are enjoined to subject themselves to State authority. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. cited the traditional Christian consensus that, “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that ‘an unjust law is no law at all.’”18 I resist the notion that we ought to discern for ourselves which earthly meet the standard In circumstances in which laws of God’s justice. In dothe laws of the State do ing so, we run the risk not cause us to sin, there of neglecting Christ’s command to give Caesar is absolutely no scriptural what is his due, namely injunction to disobey. obedience. King provides the example of the martyrs who, long before him, exemplified a breach of temporal law. Of course, these martyrs were faced with law that, if obeyed, would lead them to the grave sin of rejecting worship of Christ. In such circumstances the choice is clear and we must defer to God’s commandments over those of the State, lest we incur sin. In circumstances in which the laws of the State do not cause us to sin, however, there is absolutely no scriptural injunction to disobey. As Augustine argued, since in a conflict of powers the superior authority is to be obeyed, the authority of God’s explicit commands must be followed before all else.19 When law is to be thus justly broken, that breach comes not by subversion, but, rather, by adherence to the hierarchy of authority in which God is supreme. Kim Davis presents an appropriate example of failure to give due deference to government. Davis was a county clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue marriage licenses to a same-sex couple, citing reli-
4 | Christian Civil Obedience
gious objections.20 Her Christian objection to same-sex marriage is wellfounded scripturally, but her disobedience seems less so.21 As an agent of the State she was bound to execute its laws, leaving the two alternatives of resignation or the full enactment of her lawful duty. Davis chose neither option, but persisted in her refusal to contradict her religious principles, or even allowing her deputies to do so, to the point of accepting a jail sentence. Keeping in mind that the law has authority per se as long as it does not cause its subject to sin, Kim Davis ought to have carried the new legal definition of marriage to its executive conclusion or resigned her office. In executing the law, it would be just for Davis to continue to advocate that the American government restore its definition civil marriage to realign with the Biblical understanding. Her Christian activism, however, should not lead to disobedience. Perhaps she could judge her participation in a government office that undermines Christian morality imprudent. In that case, she ought to have withdrawn from her position after the innovation of same-sex civil marriage. Whether she executed the law while manifesting her opposition otherwise or withdrew from government, neither would occasion civil disobedience. For a counterexample and perfect model Christian political dissent, I offer the pious acts of Saint Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England. Once a favorite of the court, Saint Thomas was martyred by King Henry VIII for refusing to acknowledge royal supremacy over the Church. When faced with a law that contradicted his Christianly-informed conscience, More voluntarily withdrew from civic life before being brought to trial, at which he declared his resistance to the ordinance and submitted himself to death, declaring as his famous last words, “I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”22 Note that More never rejected his government, but, at the bidding of Scripture, deferred on this single matter to a higher authority. Christian resistance on any issue could, with great moral benefit, take its cue from such perfect servitude to God and government.
In accordance with a Christian political ethic, it is right to maintain reverent opposition to a Trump administration. It is just to be active against abuses to human dignity, in keeping with Christian charity. Although our President does no dignity to his office, however, his office necessarily gives dignity to his government. There is most certainly ample room for religious objection to a Trump presidency, and there is absolutely nothing un-Christian about opposing a politician in power. Nevertheless, a sense of disdain for the entire political system in response to (what is perceived to be) its absolute injustice permeates contemporary political resistance. The impulse of movements such as “Not my President” tend towards the contemptuous shrugging of subjection, rather than the corrective charity of conscientious objection. Few among us will assert that Trump sufficiently represents all Americans, but we, as Christians, ought cooperate with those divinely-ordained powers that govern our earthly sojourn. It is right that Christ’s law finds expression in government, but when it does not we ought still to honor those powers that be, while anticipating a world in which they will no longer hold sway. It must be remembered that, Christianly speaking, politics are a means to an end and never the end itself. At best the state can establish a temporal peace, but this is not the peace Christ promises us, since his kingdom is not of this world,23 and he refers to no earthly domain when he bids us, “Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice.”24 Thus informed, even as we confront the politics that disturb this our pilgrimage on earth, let us keep in mind his kingdom and his justice, which transcend earthly life. r Endnotes 1. I refrain from using “social justice” to distinguish justice pursued within society from seeking a truly just society. 2. Isaiah 1:17. 3. Tertullian, Apology x. I, xxviii. 2-3, xxxv. I, xl. 1-2; Translation from Loeb Classical Library, from N. Lewis and M.
Reinhold (eds.), Roman Civilization Selected Readings: vol II The Empire, (Columbia University Press; 3rd edition, 1990), http://www.u.arizona.edu/~afutrell/survey/ web%20readings/L%20&%20R%202%20 167-171.htm. 4. John 18:36 5. Herbert A. Deane, The Political and Social Ideas of Saint Augustine, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1963), 11. 6. John 16:33. 7. Romans 13:3-4. 8. Thomas Aquinas, De Regno, translated by Gerald B. Phelan, revised by I. Th. Eschmann, O.P., (Toronto: The Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, 1949), http:// dhspriory.org/thomas/DeRegno.htm. 9. Ecclesiastes 4:9. 10. Proverbs 11:14. 11. John14:27. 12. Rom. 13:1. 13. Dante, De Monarchia, 127. 14. John 19:11. 15. Justin Martyr, First Apology, translated by Marcus Dods and George Reith, from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885), revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight, <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0126.htm>. 16. Matthew 22:21. 17. 1 Peter 2:17. 18. Martin Luther King Jr, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” edited by Ali B. Ali Dinar, https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html. 19. Ibid., 147-148. 20. Alan Binder and Tamar Lewin, “Clerk in Kentucky Chooses Jail Over Deal on Same-Sex Marriage,” The New York Times, Sept. 3, 2015. 21. See Genesis 2:24 and Mark 19:4-5 22. Thomas More, according to Paris Newsletter, August 4, 1535: “qu’il mouroit son bon serviteur et de Dieu premierement,” http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/ morequotes.htm. 23. John 18:36. 24. Matthew 6:33.
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8 | Sparrows
Wonderfully Made by Chris Chan
“Beautifully talented, Loving, magnificent Smart and intelligent, you are Pretty hilarious, cunning, gregarious Caring and generous, you are You are wonderfully made And they may say otherwise but that’s a shame Your light brightens up the day When our world’s filled with darkness, rainclouds, and pain You’re like Picasso’s masterpiece A game winning goal A present that we’ve received When we’re feeling low You tell us to appreciate the small things in life You show by example how to love, laugh, and smile Every smile that you smile brings a smile to my face There’s a warmth I feel inside Every time we embrace And I won’t give up, and I won’t let go And I won’t lose faith in you.”
“Wonderfully Made” is a song I wrote for the
campers at Ramapo for Children, a camp that serves children who are affected by social, emotional, or learning challenges, including children affected by autism spectrum disorder. The song was inspired by Psalm 139:13-14: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” In general, I think that individuals with disabilities are frequently viewed as inferior or below the norm; at least, this is what I thought before obtaining more exposure to them. As I worked with these children, there were challenging times when they demonstrated aggressive (e.g. biting, pinching, hitting) and self-injurious behaviors. There were also joyous moments when they experienced success like maneuvering through an obstacle course or learning to write a letter. Ultimately, despite the way an individual walks, talks, or thinks, I think it’s important to remember that “God created
mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Because we are all made to reflect God, we are neither superior nor inferior to one another. Everyone, including individuals with disabilities, is on equal terms. There was a moment during camp when a camper told me he felt worthless. He said his family did not accept him for who he was and expressed to me the struggles he experienced in ‘the real world’ because of his disability. He went on to ask me, “Why do I matter?” The question caught me off guard. I stumbled over my words, and then realized how the beauty of songwriting engrains your own lyrics in your head. Then I was able to respond, “You are wonderfully made; the world may say otherwise, but that’s just a shame.” He smiled, and ran off to the next activity. r
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Dealing with the Downtime: A Perspective on Periods of Waiting by Juhyae Kim
Nothing sucks the life out of me as much as
waiting for something important to happen. My life often feels like succession of wait after wait: waiting for the weekend, waiting for job and internships offers, waiting for a family member’s health to recover, waiting to graduate—the list goes on. And even when I’m not waiting for something specific—when I’m routinely going through life—I’m still eager for the next exciting thing to come up. However, most of life is a downtime during which nothing particularly exciting happens. This becomes frustrating since I always have the desire to take the next step towards building a more purposeful future, but if nothing’s propelling my life forward, how can I feel at peace? And more specifically, how do I as a Christian respond with faith to these grueling periods of waiting? In coming to a clearer understanding of how to deal with the smaller instances of waiting in life, I found it vital to remember that the Christian life is a life of waiting. From the moment Christians declare faith in God, they are waiting to reunite with him, whether that is through Christ’s return or through their earthly death and heavenly entrance. Like the Psalmist who cries out about how his “whole being waits…for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for the morning,”1 Christians eagerly wait for the day they will meet God in heaven. When I recognized the parallel between that lifelong wait and my shorter periods of waiting, things seemed less daunting and frustrating. But before I draw the parallel, I want to expand on what the wait for Jesus’ second coming looks like. This lifelong wait is not a passive one; it’s an active one. As a Christian, I have the mission of doing what God commands in his Word, not because my efforts will bring about the result that God wants—he has the power to do all—but because I know the outcome: Christ “will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”2 Consider Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins. He says, “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
14 | Dealing with the Downtime
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.”3 The virgins do not know exactly when the bridegroom is set to arrive, but the wise ones prepare well regardless by bringing with them oil for the lamp in anticipation for his arrival. They wait thoughtfully and actively. Imagine that a precious guest—someone who always keeps their word and loves you unconditionally—has promised to come to your house for dinner. And suppose they asked you to do certain things in preparation for their coming. Would you lounge around and neglect those requests? Would you wring your hands in anxiety, doubting that this faithful and loving guest would actually show up? Most likely not. Yet that is what I see myself, and often other Christians, doing when we become anxious about how the world and our lives are developing. Of course, no one knows when the second coming will be, and that makes it more difficult to wait for. But regardless, the promise was made by a faithful God. And I demonstrate my lack of trust by trying to think of backup plans and appealing to human strength to guide my life, especially when I’m anxiously waiting for something. This is not to belittle the realities and fears of life. God designed people to have emotional reactions to tragic, frightening, upsetting situations, and it is right to abhor the consequences of sin in this world. In that sense, anxiety is a legitimate emotion. But in Scripture, people who trust God’s promises turn to him in their anxiety rather than sitting on it and letting it consume them.4 Given this perspective of active, obedient waiting for the entirety of life, it becomes clear how I should respond to shorter periods of waiting in my day to day life. The same perspective applies: it’s an active wait where I prepare myself for whatever God has in store. I can do this by consistently praying to have the right mindset, seeking guidance and examples in Scripture, and communicat-
ing with other people so we can pray for and encourage each other. If the story of the world has been decided by God, then the story of my life is also planned to fall perfectly in place as God wants it to. Since his plan for this world involves the people he created, he provides them with whatever they need to fulfil their purposes in his story. As I go through periods of waiting, even if my life isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working out exactly as I would like it to, I can respond by trusting that I will learn something or contribute somewhere else that God knows will be most meaningful. When nothing exciting is happening in my life, there must be something in my daily routine that I am learning and growing from that will ultimately be put to use. Though I certainly still feel some anxiety as I wait for various future plans to fall into place, understanding these periods of waiting as part of the larger wait for the reunification with God has helped me appreciate them more. I can use these times to pray about whether or not the things I desire and am waiting for are what God wants for me. And when the waiting ends, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to look back and see how numerous experiences in my life prepared me for the result. For whatever wait I am going through, as long I see it as a small part of my lifelong wait for Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming, I gain direction and lose the sense of uncertainty and fear. The end has been decided by God, and my job is to continue trekking along the path that God has carved out for me to get there. r Endnotes 1. Psalm 130:5-6. 2. Hebrews 9:28. 3. Matthew 25:1-13. 4. I do go into detail with examples of people who demonstrate this trust in God in this piece, but they are scattered throughout the Bible. A few can be seen in Psalm 6, 1 Samuel 1, and Matthew 26:36-45. Paul also exhorts the church in Philippi to turn to God in prayer when anxious (Philippians 4:4-6).
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Christianity: Gain, not Loss by Sawyer Lake
No later than a week into my freshman year, obedience to the truths of the God-breathed Bible. While Jesus
I heard the misconception; a misconception based in unfamiliarity. When new friends inquired about my life, I shared with them my foundation of faith. Initial remarks from most were, “props to you” and “I couldn’t do that.” Further conversation only substantiated what I feared—hesitancy toward Christianity stemming from the idea that one must abstain from a number of things to become a Christian. To many, the thought of giving up habits, activities, or words ingrained in day-to-day life is so daunting that it leads some to simply think it’s not for them, or that it’s too laborious. Attention is centered on loss, not gain. I understand the reluctance. But while certain aspects of life will undoubtedly change when one begins to live their life as a Christian, they will gain the greatest joy. In my early teens and throughout high school, I was hesitant about devoting myself to something greater, God’s will. I grew up in a Christian home and thought God was just someone I could rely on and trust whenever I faced difficult circumstances. I wanted to continue living a life stained by vulgarities, lust, broken relationships, and conceit. But little did I know, the greatest joy came from putting God at the center of my life. By submitting my life to him, I began loving and caring for others in ways I never had. This, of course, was not by my own doing. I had always cared for those other than myself, but I noticed a greater willingness to serve and help, however I could. No sense of obligation or self-glorification stirred this within me, but a genuine eagerness to love in a way I imagine Jesus would today did. While experiencing an abundance of love and joy, Christians are also called to be obedient. Not obedience to one’s own notion of right and wrong, but obedience to the teachings of Jesus and
10 | Christianity: Gain, not Loss
was here on earth, he taught people to cast their eyes away from sinful, earthly desires and to fix their gaze consistently upon him. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”1 This truth is further expressed in Luke, one of the gospels recounting Jesus’ life, when he says to his disciples, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”2 With this call, Christians cannot cling to the world or those they love in the world. They must adhere to Jesus’ truths and be in relationship with him. Although Jesus clearly told those on earth to believe and obey what he says, it is important to understand what exactly Jesus is calling them to do. He is straightforward when he says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”3 Although it is easy for me to value and cherish grades, awards, (the little) money I make, I am called to reject temporal, earthly pleasures, trusting in God’s promises of eternal life all throughout the Bible and believing Jesus’ words to humanity. When Jesus was asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” he replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”4 When I made my faith the number one priority in my life, committing myself in love to a relationship with God, I began to see everything else fall into place. Not that I lived perfectly, but that my peace
and happiness came and still comes from my relationship with that he has given us the ability to live in his love forever. No sum of God. In situations where I previously would have acted out of earthly loss could amount to the greatness of God’s love and glory. anger, talked poorly about others, or quit caring for someone, my Letting go of one’s self and placing one’s identity in God’s son Jesus primary concern became: how can I love others well and live for Christ is the essence of the Christian faith. His love is always availGod? I will never be able to accomplish this by believing in my able, and our obedience to God’s desires demonstrates our love for own ability to do this, but it requires me to ask for God’s guid- him. Submitting to God and committing to a relationship with him ance and ask that I reflect his love. Through this relationship and delivers us from bondage to an inevitably selfish, godless life. Jesus faith, “God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him makes it clear. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”5 me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do Knowing and feeling God’s love is an incredible joy. He nothing.”8 I live for a God who brings such joy, so it becomes easy wants a relationship with all people. to be obedient to his will. I have When I made my faith the number one The gospel of John emphasizes and algained the most significant ways reminds me just how much God relationship in my life. Othpriority in my life, committing myself in ers may not understand why I desires to have this relationship with everyone. “For God so loved the world don’t party on Saturday nights, love to a relationship with God, I began that he gave his one and only Son, that or laugh at crude jokes, but they whoever believes in him shall not perknow something is different to see everything else fall into place. ish but have eternal life.”6 He sent his about my life. It’s made all the son into a world of sin, a world I have sinned in, to pay the price difference to me, and that has been a profound gain, not a loss. r for all people. Once I grasped this inundation of love, I began to receive and recognize the immense amount of love God shares Endnotes and desires to share with every single person. Although everyone 1. John 14:6. is separated from God by sin, “God shows his love for us in that 2. Luke 9:24. while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”7 That is amazing 3. Matthew 6:19-21. grace! All of humanity has been given salvation through Jesus 4. Mark 12:30-31. Christ because of God’s love. By no means did we merit this 5. Romans 4:24. deliverance, but God gave us redemption and favored us. 6. John 3:16. The beauty of the Christian faith is the relationship. God 7. Romans 5:8. doesn’t need us, but he cares for us, his created beings, so much 8. John 15:5.
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Faithful Activism by Joyce Tompkins
Should Christians partici-
pate in resistance movements? It is not a new question, but it has assumed a particular urgency for many of us in the current political climate. A day does not go by—an hour does not go by—when I am not invited to a rally, or an action, or to call my senator or sign a petition. I feel strongly about many causes. But what role does my faith play in my activism? There is a whole spectrum of potential attitudes a Christian can take. On the one end of the spectrum is withdrawal from all political or personal action. On the other end, armed resistance. There are examples of both of these in history, and many options in between. All are undertaken with a sincere attitude of Christian faith and commitment to the gospel of Jesus. I myself have never resorted to physical violence, although I feel strongly about many I have participated in a number of causes. But what role does my demonstr ations faith play in my activism? and actions that led to violence. I do not believe the violent result to be consistent with my understanding of faith. However, recognizing that I cannot control all outcomes or others’ reactions, I continue to believe that my participation is in itself faithful. I
6 | Faithful Activism
see the gospel as a call to enlarge the circle of human rights and dignity. The work of Jesus was, and continues to be, the work of justice, healing, and the building of God’s kingdom here on earth. In the ongoing discussion about the appropriate Christian response, one of the most often cited passages is Matthew 5:3842. “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer… But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. ”I am not a biblical scholar, but I do want to raise up several points about this passage, so often quoted when suggesting that Christians not engage in resistance.1 The emphasis here is on the individual— do not resist the evildoer (singular). This does not address the issue of a larger power or institution that possesses him or causes her to act in a way we perceive as evil. Jesus is reminding us to engage the humanity of the one with whom we disagree. This attitude is the opposite of that most often encountered in political causes or outright warfare. It is human nature to seek to dehumanize those with whom we disagree. I remember my father telling me how, when he served in the army during WWII, he was encouraged to refer to the Japanese
using crude, racist characterizations. But we do not need to go back in history nor resort to such extreme examples. Our own current political climate is rife with them. What if we take the time to speak with someone from the other side, listen deeply, acknowledge the human concerns at the root of their beliefs and attitudes? Then, we encounter a real person. Then, we have a glimpse of this “other” as God might see them. Then in fact, we resist the evil system that encourages this othering, not the human person who stands before us. That process of patient, one-on-one engagement, I call Christian resistance. I would also point out that Jesus was living in a time and place of occupation, and speaking to an occupied people. The examples of behavior he encourages in this passage are pertinent to persons deemed inferior in that occupied culture. Struck on the cheek? This was the common form of reprimand used by a master to a slave, a Roman to a Jew, a parent to a child, a husband to a wife. Recently, when I was studying this passage with a group, we tried acting out the cheek-striking. What we discovered was this: to strike on the right cheek, using the right hand, the striker must use the back of the hand (the left hand in that time was reserved for unclean activities such as toileting). The back of the hand was used for an inferior . By turning the other cheek, the one deemed inferior makes it impossible for the striker to use the backhanded slap. Instead, the striker must resort to a fist—a blow that would, paradoxically, elevate the person he is striking to equal status. Again, this forces a one-on-one relationship that recognizes the humanity of each person involved. Again, I call this Christian resistance. The other examples used by Jesus here— voluntarily walking a second mile, giving a cloak when a coat is demanded—are, similarly, drawn from the behaviors required by a slave in relationship with a Roman solider. In each of these cases, the slave’s action is a clever way to elevate herself to the level of equality with the soldier, capable of giving the gift of a second mile, or a cloak. Both the slave and the soldier are thereby freed of the oppressive system that degrades the humanity of both. I am reminded here of Martin Luther King’s remarks in his Letter
from a Birmingham Jail: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought These forms of resistance are a reflection to be. This is the interrelated struc- of that most radical message of all—that ture of reality.” each of us is loved and valued and worthy This was written in the eyes of God. No exceptions. in the context of King’s comments to white Christian leaders who were critical of his movement and counseling patience. A different time, a different set of oppressors and oppressed, and yet, not really so very different. All of the examples in this passage from Matthew’s gospel point to the truly radical message of Jesus in a world dominated by state oppression, patriarchy and military might. He is calling on his listeners not only just to resist these systems, but to resist by engaging the human dignity and worth of every individual who is a part of the system, whether slave or master, Roman or Jew, man or woman. These forms of resistance are a reflection of that most radical message of all—that each of us is loved and valued and worthy in the eyes of God. No exceptions. Is our world today much different from that of Jesus’ time? In some ways, perhaps. But in most ways, unfortunately, no. Our world is still dominated by state oppression, patriarchy, racism, and military might. From a young age we learn to “other” those who seem different from ourselves; our politics feed on fear and greed. The dominions and dark powers continue their insidious work, seeking to dehumanize us and turn us against one another. But the message of Jesus stands in stark contrast to these forces. His message of love and human dignity is the ultimate form of resistance against them. And I believe we Christians, his disciples, are called to do the same. Resist the evil powers by not resisting the individual person before us in this moment. Instead, reach out and see them as another beloved child of God. r Endnotes 1. Wink, Walter. The Powers That Be: Theology for a New Millenium. New York: Doubleday, 1999.
Swarthmore Peripateo | 7
The Rule of Love
I became a Christian in my early teen years. At identified accordingly, and the big Bible I was in the habit of carthat time, I realized that I needed to find a belief system that could rying was painted with the phrase “sword of the Spirit” in fidelity give my life value and purpose. Identifying myself as a Christian, to Paul’s martial description of proper Christian dress. When my mother saw me ready for school in my strange Pauundergoing baptism, attending services at a local church, joining a Bible study group for young people—all of these activities gave line costume she screamed that she would not allow me to embarbirth to my sense of a meaningful relationship with a God who rass myself in this way and insisted that I change into my norcared for me through the gift of the Spirit and the blessing of the mal attire. Crushed, I gave in to her demands, remembering that Paul also says in Ephesians 6 that children are to be obedient to scriptures. During this time I tried to read and live out the teachings of the their parents. Intuitively, I sensed that my mother’s insistence that Bible as best I could. I memorized many of Paul’s letters—includ- I change clothes carried more weight than my robust attempt to interpret literally Paul’s teachings in order to ing the Book of Ephesians—and was espebe a better religious witness to others. This cially struck by his call to readers in chapter intuition stemmed largely from my mostly 6 to put on the whole armor of God as a inchoate conviction that a Christian should protection against evil forces. But I read this I saw it as a direct command do whatever he or she can to promote charpassage not as a figurative trope for spiritual conflict. Instead, I saw it as a direct com- to me to become a witness ity and compassion in any given situation, and that while, on the one hand, I might mand to me to become a witness and a warand a warrior for God. make a splash on my high school campus rior for God. (I now reject violent imagery with my quasi-military get-up, my mother, for my religious self-identification because I on the other hand, would suffer distress have become better aware of the deep probover her son’s increasingly strange behavlems with such language.) So in preparation ior. I learned, in other words, that the Bible for school one morning, I decked myself out makes sense when conflicting passages are read in a sort of pointin the chain mail of God’s legionnaires, according to Paul’s vision. I counterpoint fashion with reference to some overarching principle “girded my loins with truth” by writing “truth” in large block letters across the wide leather belt I wore in keeping with the fashion of of interpretation—in my case, that principle was something like the times. For the “breastplate of righteousness” I donned a tie- Jesus’ love ethic. My failed attempt to dress in strict obedience to Paul’s writing dyed tee-shirt with the word “righteousness” emblazoned on the has taught me that discerning the theological truth of the Bible is front and back in bold red letters. I put on tennis shoes with the word “peace” written all over them to ensure that my feet were largely a constructive rather than a descriptive enterprise. A reader “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” The baseball doesn’t uncover the hidden or latent sense of the Bible buried deep cap I wore, now transformed into the helmet of salvation, was so within its pages but rather creates meaning through a sort of ge-
18 | The Rule of Love and the Witness of Scripture
and the Witness of Scripture by Mark Wallace Professor of Religion
stalt process of making sense of one passage in relation to others self—this is the heartfelt disposition that should guide all manner by appealing to a third factor or principle that trumps all others. of biblical hermeneutics. In Matthew 22, when Jesus’ rivals pressed Biblical reading, then, is a largely intertextual affair. It consists of him about which commandment in the law is the greatest, he anweighing the relative merits of this or that interpretation in rela- swered in a twofold manner, “‘You shall love the Lord your God tion to some higher principle that helps one make sense of the with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ individual medley—or sometimes cacophony—of the passages in This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: question. Biblical reading always operates with a canon within a ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandcanon. Every reader tacitly or openly operates with a “working can- ments hang all the law and the prophets.” In his response, perhaps on” concerning what she thinks is the Jesus was remembering the 1st century right hermeneutical yardstick by which BCE Rabbi Hillel the Elder, who articto measure the relative merits of this or ulated the Golden Rule as “that which is that construal of a particular passage. In Desire for God above all else, hateful to you, do not do to your neighmy exchange with my mother, I sensed bor; that is the whole Torah; the rest is generosity towards others, and commentary; now go and learn it.” Or that there was a hierarchy of meanings within the Bible that allows a reader to compassion toward oneself—this he was citing Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leprivilege one reading over another in viticus 19:18, respectively. In any event, is the heartfelt disposition that fidelity to that hierarchy. That mornJesus’ principle that God is love and that ing I learned a valuable lesson in bibli- should guide all manner of biblical we are enjoined to love God, and to imcal exegesis that has stuck with me ever itate God’s love in compassion toward hermeneutics. since—namely, that biblical truth is not our neighbor—to not do to others what as obvious and straightforward as it may we would not want done to ourselves, as appear at first glance. The truth of the Hillel the Elder put it, or to do others Bible can only be won by thoughtfully as we would have done to ourselves, as juxtaposing one interpretation over and against another through Jesus said—is the bedrock assumption I believe liberates the Bible reference to a first principle that the interpreter considers to be to own its best possibilities, even as it sets free the faithful critique self-evident and just. of the Bible when it becomes captive to teachings that betray its At that time and now today, I think the overarching truth that better insights. At many critical points, the Bible shines forth the should guide scriptural reading is that we are to love God with our radiance of God’s compassion, and we can look to these revelatory whole selves even as God loves us; and that, in turn, we are to love flickers, and sometimes extended rays of light, as illuminations of one another even as we love our own selves. Desire for God above new ways of being in the world toward which the Spirit calls each all else, generosity towards others, and compassion toward one- of us. r
Swarthmore Peripateo | 19
PERIPATEO CONTRIBUTORS AND STAFF Chris Chan ’17
Nate Lamb ’17
Chris Chan is a senior Psychology major. When he's not thinking about how to make the world a more unified place, he spends his time watching Disney movies, tickling ivories, and jamming in Lang Music Building.
Nate is a minimalist.
Heitor Santos ’17
Emily Audet ’18
Seje menas.
Emily is a History major from Massachusetts. Michael is wrong: double fudge brownie is the best ice cream flavor ever.
Matthew Olivencia-Jacques ’18
Michael Broughton ’19
His blank stare is his most deadly weapon.
Michael is a sophomore from Detroit, Michigan with academic interests in Linguistics and Arabic. He firmly believes that chocolate chip ice cream is the best ice cream.
Tim Greco ’19
Juhyae Kim ’19
Tim is an engineering major from Lexington, Massachusetts. He takes pictures.
Juhyae is from St. Louis, MO and is majoring in Linguistics and Education. She misses her dog and spends too much time watching puppy videos online.
Irene Tang ’19
Rebecca Zhou ’19
Irene is a sophomore from sunny California. She enjoys wandering around Sharples and dreams about living in the great outdoors. Irene likes to wear capes.
But he said to me “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
Jasmine Betancourt ’20
Elizabeth Erler ’20
"Jasmine, you need to submit your bio now." "Ahhh, I don't know just put down whatever."
Elizabeth is a Massachusetts native. Her favorite place on campus is the Amphitheater, where she spends her hours counting the leaves.
Sawyer Lake ’20
Tobias Philip ’20
Texan. Loves Frank Sinatra.
He’s sometimes Socratic On rare days Sophistic Mostly unproblematic If a tad too Thomistic
Joyce Ulrich Tompkins
Professor Mark Wallace
Joyce is an Episcopal priest, mother, and campus chaplain at Swar thmore. Her chief claim to fame is having once memorized the names of all the Patristic heresies as well as the vegetable preferences of her children in alphabetical order.
16 | Peripateo Contributors and Staff
Professor Wallace graduated from the University of Chicago, and is Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies at Swar thmore College.
Selah.
Pause. Breathe. Think of that.
Photo by Timothy Greco
סֶלָה
סֶלָה
