The Secret to Fighting Oppression and Socialism

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It’s a Brave New World filled with it’s own brand of Somma (my apologies to those of you who slept through high school lit class).  The premise behind Aldous Huxley’s classic work is simple: People are controlled by what they love, worship and what brings them comfort.  The fear in Huxley’s imagined future is the absence and questioning of the things that have made society comfortable.

He leaves no stone unturned.  Each member of society has their predetermined role to fill.  Alphas are bred to govern; Gammas are bred to maintain trash and increase consumption so there are just the right amount of goods and services to keep everyone needing more things.  Feelings and emotions are erased by what we might call an “anti-depressant” prescription.  Sex is an activity to be enjoyed by all without limits.  Society unravels when its norms are questioned.  When impulses like love and morality are introduced, everything is in trouble.

As I consider our society, I am amazed by how many of us are gripped by fear.  Fear of the unraveling.  Fear of everything changing.  The History Channel is making a killing off of this fear.  Every hour is filled with Apocalyptic programming.  “2012: you’ve got three years left, suckas!”  Nostradamus.  Revelation.  Saddam’s Babylon.

Hey, no one finds this stuff more interesting than me.  My DVR is working overtime so I can watch all that crap!  But here’s the deal: fear WILL steal your impetus for living life to it’s fullest, up to it’s God-intended best.  Fear is a self-imposed, self-limiting set of handcuffs.  It is an oppression we too readily embrace.  For the follower of Jesus it has no place in our lives.

Oppression is most dangerous when we’ve woven its fabric and created our own cloak from it.  When we’ve done that, we’re actually proud of the way it looks and fits us.  Whole Christian communities are abandoning lifestyles of faith because we are facing global economic, governmental and environmental questions we’ve not had to face before. But at least we have our comfortable and very sexy garment of fear.

There are those we love as Christ commanded, and those we’ve chosen to fight in Apocalyptic fashion.  Those who agree with us, we love, but of course even the Tax Collectors do that!  Those we disagree with are soon-to-be beaten, wounded travelers, who we’ll make damn-sure get their just desserts.  We hope for their destruction rather than salvation.  This is, of course, the Christian way, the way of the Kingdom.

One unique way this is playing in faltering communities of faith is in the accusation of Socialism.  Now, most of us would agree that Socialism is a kinder, prettier oppression than dictatorship.  Not something we’d hope for.  Not something that has ever worked anywhere on the planet.  How then will we ever fight oppressive Socialism?  Get your guns ready?  Write your congressman?

The answer is quite simple.  Socialism is forced generosity.  It is a bastardization of something we, as followers of Christ are supposedly known by, our love for one another.  Who can impose generosity upon the already generous?  It is impossible. 

Someone in scripture talked about this.  He said, “If someone demands your overcoat, hook ‘em up with your shirt as well.  If some authority figure demands a mile of service from you, give ‘em two.  If someone mistreats one side of your visage, offer the other side to see what he’ll do.”  Or you could protect what’s “yours.”  Depends upon which kingdom you hope to expand.  Depends upon which comfort you choose to defend.  Depends upon what you define as “mine.”

Someone once suggested that I was an arrogant idealist by doggedly chasing this other reality over the earthly one we’re forced to live in.  Maybe.  But it seems more like trying to follow the guy who first proposed the idea.

Give it a shot: Fear Not!  The same guy referenced earlier said, “Tomorrow has it’s own share of junk.  Live today.”