Conquest and Reconciliation: Where Our History Leads Us

"Reconcile By This"

Much of my thinking on the subject of religion and life in general over the last year or so has been influenced by Christian author and former Pastor Brian McLaren.  In fact, when I wrote my previous entry "Adventures in Missing the Point" I had no idea that McLaren had already written a book (with Tony Campolo) with that exact title!  Currently I'm reading his book "Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World."  The most recent chapter talks about dealing with our actual history, not just as Americans but as Christians, warts and all.  As someone with a minor in history, this strikes really close to home for me and I think, no...I KNOW that the way we view, interpret, and sanitize our history has consequences not only for us, but for the world as well.

The version of American history taught to children is extremely sanitized and heavily propagandized.  Maybe it's less so than it was when I was in school 20 some years ago, but I doubt it.  In the book McLaren talks about the story of Christopher Columbus and his absolute genocide of the native people of Hispanola.  I didn't get that in school.  I got that from reading people like Howard Zinn once I got into college.

The history of Christianity is equally sanitized and propagandized.  When I was in Sunday school growing up, we learned about the "conversion" of the Roman Emperor Constantine in 312, C.E.  If you actually learned church history growing up, you probably learned a similar version.  Basically, on the eve of a big battle, Constantine sees a vision of a cross in the sky, the upright beam of the cross being a spear, and under the cross the words "Conquer By This."  So Constantine orders the cross painted on all his shields, banners, and the like and goes on to win the battle.  He goes back to Rome, makes Christianity the new religion of the empire, everybody converts, and then everything is all hunky dory, at least until the Reformation.

I wrote a paper on this during my freshman year in college for a world history class.  Nobody had ever challenged that narrative in my mind.  The professor did though, and rightly so.  After thrashing my paper in red ink he pointed me to resources about Constantine's violent enforcement of his new found faith, persecution of those who chose to follow other religions within the empire, and forced conversions of people to Christianity.  I was stunned, to put it mildly.

So I hope that Brian McLaren doesn't mind me riffing off his idea here a bit.  He mentions Constantine and these issues that my professor pointed out all those years ago.  So why do they do this?  Why is our history so white-washed and sanitized?  There is a pretty easy answer.  These narratives of history, both secular and religious, enforce our sense of identity, our sense of US.  To put it in more of a social psychological context, the narratives enforce the "In group" of  "In group-Out group" behavior.   This worldview, where we see everybody in an "us vs them" light, allows us to validate any behavior as long as it's done for "us" and dehumanize and shun any person or behavior associated with "them."  In short, it allows us to see things in a simple, black and white construct.  No critical thinking is required, and no questions need to be asked.  This is the way most of us like it, and this is the way many of the people in power, both secularly and religiously, want it.  This is also the crux of McLaren's point.

Where McLaren gets me, and why I sat down to write this morning, is where he actually asks a question that might change the entire narrative.  A question, that if embraced, could lead to an entirely new and I believe more authentic version of Christianity and could perhaps alter the course of modern history.

What if, instead of the cross and the words "conquer by this," Constantine's vision would have been an image of bread and wine with the words "reconcile by this?"

Lets not take up the Christian aspects of bread and wine just yet.  The sharing of bread wine, the sharing of food, the sharing of one's resources is a symbol of peace and hospitality in many cultures across the world.  When you open your table to a friend or a guest, it's a gesture of peace.  It also shares your identity with the person and invites them to become part of an "us" with you.  You don't need to be a Christian or even religious to see the grace, mercy, and love involved with opening up your table to someone else.

For Christians, the point is even deeper.  Christ invited all of "us" to his table and eat and drink, not only of bread and wine, but of his body and blood.  Whether you believe in that literally or figuratively is beside the point in this discussion.  Christ is opening his table to you, sharing his identity with you, offering to make you part of an "us" with him.  He is offering to reconcile us to him.  The taking of Holy Communion, or the Eucharist if you prefer, is the deepest, most sacred ritual act in Christianity.

So if Jesus opens his table, why shouldn't we?   Let's also not forget that Jesus's table is open to anyone.  In many Christian sects, you have to accept that particular sect before you can take Holy Communion, but I'm not sure that's how Jesus wanted it.  This is also why I love the "open table" approach of the United Methodist Church.  They realize that Jesus hung out with whores, sinners, and tax collectors.  Their Communion table is open to anyone, Christian or not, active or not, to come share in the sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ.

This, I believe is true message of Jesus.  "Come to me, all of you.  Let's break bread together and have a glass of wine.  Let's talk about each other, get to know each other, be KIND to each other, serve each other, and realize that we are all one in the same on this planet.  Each of us has a unique life and purpose, and each of us should be respected, and most importantly, loved."

Taking this approach to our lives and our Communion with Christ and others sheds light on all of us and even our histories.  We may not want to acknowledge the black spots in out social and religious histories, or even our personal histories.  But bringing all to the table and acknowledging this areas draws us into reconciliation, which can lead us to common ground, peace, and love.

Try it. Try seeing yourself, your country, and your faith as others see you.  Don't be afraid to shed the light of reconciliation on those ugly spots.  Once those are dealt with then we truly are able to honestly open our table to all and build a better, peaceful, and loving community where everyone is respected and belongs.