Like Fire in the Bones: Listening for the Prophetic Word in Jeremiah

Chapter Twelve. A World Available for Peace: Images of Hope from Jeremiah and Isaiah

168 chapter twelve A World Available for Peace Images of Hope from Jeremiah and Isaiah Agrowing breach exists between the dominant values of American society and the claim of the gospel. It has been held for a long time— and with some truth—that there was a congruity between America and the gospel. It did seem that in important ways American values had been shaped and informed by Christian faith. But no more. There is now a sickness (or madness, depending on how deep you cut it) in American society that receives no sanction or legitimacy from biblical faith. That madness may go by many names, but I shall call it consumerism —the notion that life consists in having and getting and spending and controlling and using and eating. This value system places stress on accumulation and believes that meaning and security come by “more.” Such consumerism in which we are enmeshed requires militarism to sustain it. Our consumerism, our excessive standard of living, depends on our having a disproportionate amount of goods and disproportionate access to markets, and on our having while others do not have. Indeed, it is not a great oversimplification to suggest that our militarism exists to support our consumerism, so that we may identify the disease of our society as consumer militarism, which means an endless effort to gather more of the world around us for our benefit. These dominant values have received much support from religions, but in fact the values of consumerism and militarism cannot,in any way I know, square with Jesus’ embrace of death and Jesus’ resurrection into new power for life. I believe that this growing tension, this collision course between the two sets of values—consumer militarism and Christian faith—is the central religious fact of our contemporary situation. Our dominant cultural values are in deep conflict with Christian faith and will lead us to death. A World Available for Peace d 169 The central promise of the gospel is peace that is God’s good gift (John 14:27). But it is clear upon any reflection that the ways of consumerism do not lead to peace, but only to anxiety. The ways of militarism do not lead to security, but only destruction, violence, and dehumanization. In the midst of this mad scramble toward death are Christians, the church, with this conviction that the crucified risen One matters even here, because this One and only this One is Lord and Savior. As a way to think about the issue of peace and our commitments to death, I will explore two scripture passages. These are God’s living words to us, which may illuminate our situation and the choices we must make. The first is Jeremiah 6:13-15. The poetry of Jeremiah seems peculiarly appropriate to our setting. Jeremiah lived in a time when destruction was very close at hand. Yet he lived among people who did not seem to notice, did not seem to care, or were unable to act. The poetry goes like this: For from the last to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. They acted shamefully, they committed abomination; yet they were not ashamed, they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,” says the Lord. There are four points in this text that we may notice. First, at the center of the text the leaders say, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.The poet insists that the kings, priests, and leaders in Jerusalem are engaging in an enormous deception. The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, means a harmonious, properly functioning, life-giving order to society. The leadership asserts in its policies and propaganda that society is harmonious, properly functioning, and life-giving. But, says this poet: “It is a lie. It is not so.” 170 D Like Fire in the Bones The opposite of shalom is not war but chaos. The poet wants his community to notice the chaos and to experience the destructive disorder that is everywhere in the life of the community. Christians are people who must tell the truth. Christians are people who reject the lie, the deception, who refuse the propaganda...