A Manifesto of Christian Nonviolence

1. Understand the Signs of the Times – External vs Internal Mediation.

   We need to educate ourselves about the anthropological, political and spiritual situation we are now in.  René Girard gives us a theory that explains the origins of human culture arising from rivalry and mimetic desire. As humans outgrew instinctual restraints, this rivalry led to spiraling violence within the group. This violence was then discharged onto a scapegoat who was killed, and this act brought a temporary experience of well-being and release that was quickly associated with something transcendent and divine. The human need to spill blood to keep group violence in check was identified with the desire of God, who was then understood in terms of violence and wrath. The scapegoating mechanism morphed into animal sacrifice and temple rituals, and these – along with taboos and legislation - created order that contained and controlled our violence. Sacrifice itself creates hierarchy – the fear and dread of the holy are the foundation of priestly and monarchical power. Holy institutions, class systems and family structures that developed within this sacred order, and underpinned by sacred violence, had the ability to restrain and control. They created stability.  Wars and conflicts still existed but were contained and covered over by this sacred order and the veneer of holiness. The order was based upon maintaining the difference between classes of people so that everyone knew their place in the system. Desire was still mediated by others, but this mediation was external – people looked to those in a class above them, or who were desirable in other ways, and strived to attain this for themselves. External Mediation is seeking to imitate someone whom you admire, who is other than and different than yourself. Girard says we have shifted from a system of External Mediation to one of Internal Mediation. Internal Mediation results when the traditional ordering structures in society begin to break down. External Mediation is collapsing in large part because of the gospel that frees us from the bondage to the sacred order and because the gospel has revealed the scapegoated victim that is hidden beneath all External Mediation. But although we have deconstructed the old systems of control, we have not replaced them with something constructive, so we are living in a chaotic time that is halfway between the old and the new. There is a breakdown of difference happening everywhere in society – people no longer have the same trust in churches, schools, family structures or government. No one knows where they fit in anymore. Internal Mediation results – it is mimetic rivalry between others of the same social level. Social media is one example of this. We are immediately present to each other, and through each anonymous post, connect as equals, faceless people in the crowd. Without differentiation, we inevitably infect each other with desire. There is no distance between ourselves and others – we are in immediate proximity to the object of desire and also to the scapegoat. We have internalized mimesis and it has become poisonous- It consumes us so that we have reached a point in which violence is unbridled, and the sacred order that covered over the violence has broken down. Since the wars of the twentieth century and the development of nuclear weapons, the sacred calm that followed war also no longer works. War has become so destructive that the old transcendent release no longer justifies the scope of the killing. Cracks in the sacred veneer now allow us to see ourselves and our violence clearly. This has led to the erosion of sacrificial religion - the old violent understanding of God as all-powerful no longer works - and atheism emerges. The wrath of God is now less scary than the human potential for catastrophic global destruction, and so God no longer has a place or function. Because the protective cultural mechanisms have eroded, we are fully exposed to violence all the time. This creates an almost intolerable sense of spiritual stress. 

2. A New Christendom.

Some of our political leaders have accepted Girard’s analysis of the shift from External to Internal Mediation and its interpersonal and political consequences. They are seeking to reinstate order by reconstructing systems that promote External Mediation. This would be a new Christendom – which is the alliance of Christianity and imperial power. They want to reinstate difference as a way to reimpose order. This is occurring internally by favoring certain social groups and withdrawing benefits from others. And internationally with a new American Isolationism through imposing tariffs and immigration controls. Technology is the means for bringing this all about. Technology is now the biggest source of wealth and power and also controls and manipulates the narrative. Nine of the ten richest people in the world today are from the USA and all but one made their wealth in the tech field. (The three richest own more than the bottom 50% of the US population). 

3. Church as Sanctuary.

Many within the churches also believe that the only way forward is to withdraw and retreat into the safety of the Church. The world is so violent that it may not be able to be saved. Better then to live a good and righteous life within the sanctuary of the church and look to life after death. The world might be going down but by living a good life we can ensure a place in heaven. But this was not Jesus’ way – he turned his face to Jerusalem and to the cross.

 4. A Nonviolent Messiah.

In times of crisis people have looked for a messiah, someone to save them. But generally messianic is understood in human terms of violent power. This goes hand in hand with trying to reimpose the structures and stability of External Mediation. Trump has been assigned a messianic role in this way. But Jesus shows us that we need to understand God and messiah very differently. We are living in apocalyptic times – but in the sense that the truth about ourselves and about God, previously hidden, is now revealed. With Jesus we have the true messiah. He has revealed to us in his life, death and resurrection transcendent nonviolence. He first freed us from the violent sacred order of External Mediation. He removed the wrath from God and called God “daddy”, inviting us into that relationship of love. God no longer is two-faced but is revealed as pure nonviolent love. When he turned his face to Jerusalem and to the cross, he revealed the scapegoating mechanism as a human construct which has nothing to do with God. Jesus says that God desires mercy not sacrifice, and forgiveness replaces the temple. He reveals that it is God’s will that we replace External Mediation not with internal Mediation, but instead with something new - intimate Mediation aka grace. Grace is the love poured out from God that is so boundless there is more than enough for all. There is no more need for rivalry, and God him/herself becomes the object of our desire. This allows us to break free from our cycles of violence. Jesus calls people to this different way of being human – we are called to opt out of Internal Mediation and choose life.

 5. Christians as witnesses to Faith, Hope and Love.

Paul teaches us that when all else falls away, three things remain – faith, hope and love. The Christian response in our splintered world today is first to be a light of hope. We believe that God is still all-powerful, but that God’s power is the power of love. Love is the only thing able to overcome hatred and break the cycle of violence. We have faith and hope that God created us and remains invested in our future and will not let us fall. We believe that love will prevail, and ultimate destruction is not inevitable. We trust in the Word, in Jesus who is the coming Prince of Peace. The gods of violence are demonetized by the god of love; the machine has broken down. Our prayer taught us by Jesus is for God’s Kingdom to come in our world.

 6. New Era – the old ways are obsolete.

The controlling structures of the first two millennia are failing. Twentieth century systems will not work in this 3rd age. New wine needs to be placed in new wine skins. We seek new ways to evangelize rooted in creativity and compassion. The old ways are obsolete. A New evangelization involves reframing God as relationship and nonviolence. The old Greek terms of essence and metaphysics are obsolete and do not speak to the crisis of violence in which we find ourselves. In the book of Revelation, Jesus who is the Lamb who was slain, the risen victim is the new principle of life at the heart of the city, and we are followers of the Lamb.

 7. Humanize not Demonize.

Our actions directly impact others because of mimesis. We strive to imitate Jesus, in all our relationships - transform from Internal Mediation and rivalry into Intimate Mediation -that is to meet people with compassion, forgiveness, mercy and kindness. We seek to model Christ – with a total renunciation of violence. A transcendence of love. If you love the enemy, they are no longer your enemy.

 8. Servant Path, small and local.

We seek to take the servant role and surrender our desire for self-righteousness, that is the need to believe ourselves right and others wrong. Instead, we are called to take the humble path. Take the servant role. To listen to people’s concerns and fears without judgment. Start small and local. The world is so big and all-present through social media that people are feeling helpless in the face of the enormity of the problems that need to be addressed. We are like the early Christians who were called to witness to God’s nonviolence in the heart of empire. We can begin at the grass roots level by reaching out to our divided neighborhoods to build friendships. The Gospel has always been relational – a transformation of the heart through the witness of love from one person to another.  Jesus tells us not to discount the impact of the small – the grain of salt, the mustard seed. In fact, it is only through an act of compassion experienced by the other, that real lasting change can happen. This is the power of love that dismantles hatred.

 9. A Discipline of Nonviolence.

We seek to develop a discipline of nonviolence through prayer, scripture study and in community. We do not seek persecution or situations of conflict – but grow our spiritual strength to prepare for unguarded moments and times of trial.