October/November 2007

Sister Joan Chittister Speaks Out on War, Feminism, and the Catholic Church
James Kullander

The Global Church and America's War
Jim Wallis

Creating a World that Works for All
Sharif M. Abdullah

Protecting Oregon's Heritage Forests from Myopic Management
Lesley Adams

The Movement to Commit Poetry
Eric Sirotkin

A Journey into Consciousness
Jody Woodruff

Mixed Media Reviews

Getting Out From Under: Natural and Holistic Help for Depression
Gaea Yudron

Are Emotions Obstacles or Allies?
Gangaji

The Enneagram of Personality
Carl Marsak. MA

Choosing to Live an Inspired Life
W. Bradford Swift

Cosmic Calendar
Salina Rain

BACK TO TOP

The Global Church and America’s War

By Jim Wallis

I have suggested several times an alternative strategy in Iraq that would have to involve serious international intervention and regional engagement to secure Iraqi security and stability—the kind of bold, strong, and creative multilateral strategy that is completely obstructed by the ongoing unilateral American occupation. Permanent US military bases and unique American claims to future oil revenues and contracts for Iraqi reconstruction are among the US prerogatives that would have to be sacrificed for such international solutions to be possible—along with a massive American financial commitment to rebuild the shattered country that our war has broken. But exercising American responsibility without US control is not likely to occur on the Bush watch. So we can only look and hope for a future change of direction.

But let’s turn from politics to theology and ecclesiology. The vitriol against Christian Iraq war dissenters from the handful of neocon war promoters who regularly clog the comments to our blog forget both. Both the teachings of Jesus (remember, “blessed are the peacemakers” and “love your enemies”) and the rigorous criteria of the “just war” from Augustine and others in the Christian tradition clearly leave believers with at least a presumption against war. And the ignominious origins and now-disputed rationales for this war in particular, along with its enormous human cost, clearly put the burden of proof on the war’s supporters much more than its critics—that is, if we are to be Christians about all this, and not just American nationalists or neoconservative apologists for American hegemony in the world.

That brings me to a second point—about the body of Christ and our loyalty to the global Christian community. Outside the borders of the United States of America, a vast, vast majority of the world’s people are steadfastly against the American war in Iraq and the foreign policies of the US in general. Take out all the non-Christians from that global population sample and among the people of God the opposition remains the same. Even reduce that number to only evangelical Christians worldwide and you are still left with an overwhelming majority of born-again, Bible-believing Christians who are against American policy in Iraq and, indeed, the entire Middle East region.

Because of my work and transatlantic family ties, I travel extensively around the world, frequently talk to others who do, regularly read the international press, frequently host international Christian leaders, and often attend international Christian gatherings. On my recent journey to Singapore to join 500 leaders of World Vision from 100 countries I met a great majority of evangelical believers, especially from the global South, but also including Europeans, Australians, and even many Americans who work globally, who are now completely opposed to the Iraq war, to US policy in the region, and to the way the United States conducts its “war on terrorism.” In other words, my experience convinces me that the body of Christ, internationally, is against the US war in Iraq and the whole direction of current US foreign policy. Many Christians I’ve spoken to go further and say that America’s aggressive role in the world today has hurt the cause of Christ globally, especially when an American president dangerously conflates America’s role with God’s purposes. And if you don’t know that perspective, you simply haven’t had much experience with Christians outside of the United States.

So if the international body of Christ generally doesn’t support America’s war in Iraq, or US foreign policy generally, what do some American Christians know that the rest of the global Christian community doesn’t? Is the rest of the church just wrong? Do we have access to information that they don’t have? (Actually, they have much more access to information and different perspectives than most Americans have, which is a big part of the problem.) What don’t they understand that we do? Or, from the perspective of the Christian warriors who try to dominate the commentary section of our blog, what do they know that world Christianity has yet to learn?

Personally, to be frank, I think it is because far too many American Christians are simply Americans first and Christians second. The statement that got the most enthusiastic response in Singapore was not about politics but ecclesiology: “We are to be Christians first and members of nations or tribes second.” That simple affirmation, if ever applied, would utterly transform the relationship of American Christians to the policies of their own government.

For all the vitriolic debate about politics in relationship to the war in Iraq, I think the real issue is our theology and ecclesiology. Many American Christians are simply more loyal to a version of American nationalism than they are to the body of Christ. I want to suggest that the two are now in conflict, and we must decide to whom to we ultimately belong. That’s the real issue.

Reverend Jim Wallis is a preacher, activist, international commentator on ethics and public life, and the editor of Sojourners magazine (www.sojo.net). He is the author of God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It. Reprinted with permission from Sojourners (www.sojo.net) and the God’s Politics Blog (www.godspolitics.com).