“Obama has to hold something in reserve. He has to dial down expectations … he has to play it cool … if only to have any hope of surviving.” (quote from here)
The scene from Grant Park on Tuesday evening was mesmerizing, spectral, simply stunning. I sat there looking on (via television) in utter amazement at this “historic” moment. The majesty of the staging, the sheer numbers of people participating made anyone who watched want to be, indeed have to be, part of this movement for change. The diversity in the crowds was eschatological. No one could miss the M L King overtones. Barack Obama’s speech was delivered with the cadence of Martin Luther King, the brilliance of John Kennedy, the gravitas of Abraham Lincoln calling a nation together at Gettysberg. I was moved by the diversity, glad that our country’s aggressive posture towards war would be over, heartened that we might begin listening and conversing with the rest of the world again, blown away by the conciliatory tone, blessed that such a gifted man would be lending intellect and leadership to this country’s problems. To all appearances, Obama looks like the counter-Bush. Today, despite my reticence to vote and support some of Obama’s policies towards abortion, I sincerely rejoice that the Bush era is over.
So what do we do now? I suggest three things to start.
1. HOPE FOR SOME SMALL CHANGES BUT DON’T EXPECT MUCH
I am hoping for some preservatory acts: some changes in government that preserve us from some of the more carnivorous societal injustices of the most recent laissez-faire capitalism gone mad, but that’s about it. Sadly (excuse me while I wince), as symbolic of an event in history as this is for every body, as good as it all makes us feel, this presidential change has little potential to produce anything significant for God’s justice in the world. Obama himself brilliantly proclaimed that nothing has been accomplished with his election. The work lies ahead. He spoke with seriousness on his face revealing just how much he knows that the task ahead is beyond the scope of any one man, that all people must participate. The speech very subtley warned us of a danger – the danger that all of us seeking the justice of God maybe don’t realize – there is very little Obama or the US government can do to bring in God’s justice even if Barack is everything as promised. His face said it all – the mountains of debt, the calamity of the capitalist markets, the economic crisis have made it virtually impossible for Barack to do anything but cooperate with the corporatist forces hoping for a time when the economy can even itself out and accomplish some of the things this country desperately needs: a new health care structure, a new economic structure, and a new international structure that retracts itself from war as a viable policy instrument.
2. PRAY FOR OBAMA
The powers and forces at work on the levels of U.S. government are so overwhelming that they will engulf anyone who dares enter into it. Barack is no different. In fact, in some ways, he comes specifically tailored to be used as a malleable instrument by the existing corporate structures of capital to further its territorilizing over America and beyond. Now that George Bush has exhausted his usefulness, indeed has no usable credibility anymore, corporate economy needs a black man/white man, rich man/who was poor man to be the instrument for furthering the flows of capital. Frankly, I don’t believe Obama has any other choice. I know this all sounds so conspiratorial. It’s not. I’m just reflecting observations already made elsewhere in political theory by theorists like Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri.
Political theorists Negri and Hardt have written famously how “a new form of sovereignty” has emerged at the turn of the millenium. It includes “dominant nation states along with supra-national institutions, major capitalist corporations and other powers.” Despite the inequalities between these various components, they all “must cooperate to create and maintain the current global order.” (preface Multitude). “Today nearly all of humanity is to some degree absorbed within or subordinated to the networks of capitalist exploitation.” (Empire p. 43) As such, the global networks of power organized primarily through global capitalism are the new more subtler form of power governing us all in this new Empire. In short, the State is the subordinate servant to the Global market.
This was all written prior to the economic developments of the last 6 months. Yet how forthtelling. Contrary to those Christians who argue that Obama is initiating a new world order that has apocalyptic implications drawn from the book of Revelation, Hardt and Negri’s work suggests that it is way too late to worry about that. The Global network is already firmly entrenched, too entrenched for pres. elect Obama to do anything about it. Likewise there are people who argue intelligently that the recent “Government bailout of Wall Street” was a capitulation to socialism. And the real reason that this happened was because we allowed the government to intrude into free markets forcing the banks and Wall Street to lend to poor people. Yet even Greenspan himself, the prima donna of free markets and Ayn Rand moral objectivism, declared he overestimated the ability of free markets and the banks to police themselves. He was shocked and horrified that the banks did this. And so, in the aftermath of Hardt and Negri, we must understand the government of the United States has no choice. They have to structure these vehicles to accommodate the carnivorous enslaving forces of capitalism, because to not do it would be catastrophic for the economy. The State is now the servant of the global capitalism and now every body must cooperate or die.
Obama too has little choice. It will be difficult to lead this country in the midst of this crisis without either sinking the US into all out depression or giving in to the interests and powers of corporate capital. This is why we truly must pray for the new president. For perhaps this will be the one good man who can become the instrument for a more just society. Yet I am convinced he can do so only by the power of God that supersedes his own or the US governments. Remember (I’m convinced) George W Bush was a good man at the outset as well.
3. GET ON WITH THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM
The kingdom’s work is always small (Matt 13:31-32), close to the ground (Matt 25:32-40) and subversive to the powers (Eph 6:2). This speaks to the fact that we really cannot expect too much from the new president. It is why I felt compelled to say earlier “Go ahead and vote, just don’t expect too much.” Instead, let us now get back to the primary call on our lives, nurturing communities of God’s justice, salvation, and reconciliation in the world.
The danger of Obama is that everybody wants to be part of something big … but the kingdom is usually small (It’s like a mustard seed). Let us not look to something big like the Obama presidency to bring in Christ’s justice. I fear the young emerging missional Christians have just shot their entire energy outtake for 2008-2009 into getting Obama elected. I fear we sit euphoric (if exhausted) as if to say we did it, its accomplished. And now the daily life engagements for Christ and his salvatiomn/justice do not seem near as exciting. This is the danger of Barack Obama to the emerging/missional churches.
So I respectfully ask, based on the above, that all young emerging/ missional Christians not get their hopes up. The sheer volume of antagonistic e-mails I’ll get for saying that reveals the ideological spell we are all locked into. In the midst of the new political euphoria however, I respectfully ask the emerging/missional church people to get on with being the church, the subversive micropolitics that actually can, under the Lordship of Christ, bring in the Reign of God, subvert the Empire, bring in the Kingdom of God on the ground. Emerging leaders read Hardt and Negri, understand Empire and let’s have a good discussion about it. I loved Tuesday night, yet, if given a choice, I would have preferred Tuesday night’s revival meeting have been in a church- or in a park with the cross at the center, recognizing Jesus as Lord. Blessings to us all as we seek to navigate being and doing God’s justice in the name of Jesus in this new world we have post Wall Street Bailout, post pres. George W Bush, post gas guzzling SUV’s. What do you think the danger of Obama is for the new emerging missional churches of America.
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Good thoughts. Everyone seems to miss the main question and that is How do we get millionaire CEO’s to pay their help more money (a liveable wage)?
Trickle down means it goes from their hand into their pocket. Letting the government disperse means they get wealthier.
What is it that brought us a middle class to begin with? It was when companies unionized. We need to bring back unions. No they are not Christian organizations. Yes they are a carnal group.
But do you want to work for $7.00 per hour or $20.00per hour?
Good post Dave. One thought that keeps going through my head amongst all the talk about change is that there won’t really be any profoundly substantial change with the election of Obama. Of course, he will do things differently than Bush and some things he will probably do better. In that sense there will be change and, of course, I’m hopeful. But I do not see his election as offering anything like a serious challenge to the overall trajectory the Western world has been on for a long time now.
As to the danger Obama poses to the emerging missional church, here is what I said on my own blog earlier today concerning both Obama and the general swing to the left by many evangelical voters:
It still leaves us just as vulnerable to the dangers of a politicized Christianity, perhaps even more so, because there is the dangerous illusion that, having moved away from the politicized Christianity of the past we have somehow escaped it, when in fact all we have done is trade one task-master for another. Furthermore, as the abortion issue illustrates, it still leaves us just as vulnerable, again, maybe more so, to the dehumanizing forces at work in late modern Western culture. It can also become just as much of a constricting legalism and a possible hindrance to loving our neighbors as the Religious Right did.
Dave,
I share your desire to see the church work for change through the church and not the government. But that runs completely contrary to Obama’s platform. And, if the missional church has bought into that platform, then indeed, the movement is in peril.
Obama and the politics of the left advocate growing government bigger and bigger so the GOVERNMENT can meet everyone’s needs and bring about its definition of justice, often in contradiction to biblical standards. For example, I expect under Obama, the government will take more of my money and use it to fund things like abortion.
As Christians, we should look to the church to be the agent of righteousness. But instead, we’re outsourcing righteousness to the government.
Instead of funding faith-based programs, we advocate for the government to start programs and then give a measly 2.5% of our income to the church and Christian ministries. According to Empty Tomb, if every American evangelical would give 10%, that would produce an extra $164 billion!! Imagine what that would do to cover peoples’ healthcare and wipe out world hunger! Think also of what that would do to promote God’s good name!
Dave, I see more of this government-as-savior idea in your
hope that the government will somehow preserve us from the “laissez-faire capitalism gone mad.” Again, how about instead of counting on the government to save us, the church subverts and capitalism’s culture of greed? Capitalism needs to be tempered — not by socialism — but by the church!
Also, we should recognized that for the government to preserve us, it must grow more powerful. Does no one fear Big Brother anymore? Big, intrusive government has never been the friend of the church (even when it was the church!)
Also, as Nicolas Sarkozy noted, this collapse was not the failure of capitalism. As you rightly noted, “the real reason that (the collapse) happened was because we allowed the government to intrude into free markets forcing the banks and Wall Street to lend to poor people.” But when you quoted Greenspan, you failed to note why the banks and markets didn’t police themselves: it was because Freddie and Fannie were GOVERNMENT-sponsored enterprises! These carryovers from FDR’s New Deal eliminated a crucial factor in the free market — risk. The banks clearly expected the government to cover all the bad loans Freddie and Fannie made, which of course, it now has.
The Religious Right definitely erred, but I fear the new Religious Left could cause even greater harm to Christ’s cause. It seems equally politicized. But it exceeds the Right in its willingness to compromise Christian standards and to look to the government to save, instead of Christ.
julie .. I think you misread me … I think Greenspan’s quote speaks for itself … here’s a man who if you know his philosophy – it’s pure market capitalisn based upon the telos of the selfish “objectivist ego. I think he followed those philosophies put into policies to the very end … that is what led us here. I think there’s a debate on Freddie and Fannie and how they themselves became the instrument of the capitalist enterprise … the CDS’s .. and CDO’s were basically a creation of the free market unregulated. The most right wing press, most friendly to the so-called free market, agree … the system basically created deception for the sake of greed… So .. you know, you and I disagree. Having said that, two people could basically make an argument on either side. I therefore would like to bring people like Hardt and Negri into the conversation. I think the religious right, and the evangelcial adviocates of free amrket capitalism are blind to the world systems.Julie, I think you and I agree about the limits of what the government can do. We both would argue that the most the government can do is preservatory measures. I however see we need preservatory measures that preserve 40 million people from being locked out from medical care, and other carnivoruous elements of capitalism that if left to its own destroy human life. You see that we need other presevratory measures.
Also I also probably think that you and I disagree on the ways we capitalism as a system just as enforced, with inequities and problems of power, versus say socialism. I see socialism and capitalism as equally beset with problems of evil, and perdiious ends.
Where we agree is that the church must be the center of the work of justice because ti alone is armed with the reconciliation, forgivenss and evil breaking forces of the reign of Christ as brithed into the world through the incarnation and the atonement.
I agree that healthcare should be entered into by the church. It indeed originated int he church in the first place. When it is organized by capitalism it become sinfested with the need to make profit, get more bodies in and out, build mnore wings int the hospital, and it attracts doctors who want to make alot of money. It changes the very nature of healthcare.Yet just as we desire the government to step in the way of aborted lives in the womb, I also want the government to take some action to step inthe way of people dying because of the brutal practices of Americna capitalist healthcare. Preserve the lives, meanwhile, let the church get busy… in the power of Christ.
Gordon … you speaketh my language … the new evangelcial/ emerging church left is pursuing the same James Dobson “Christian Nation” in different guise leaving us in the same hole …
Blessings to Julie, Gordon and Community Wesleyan … and all of us as we pursue faithfulness in the new society taking shape before our very eyes
Dave,
I’ll believe socialism and capitalism are equal when the number of people fleeing to the U.S. from Cuba equals the number of people fleeing from the U.S. to Cuba!
Yes, Greenspan followed his philosophies based on self-interest to the end. Yet, I think we agree that Greenspan was not working with a true free market. Nevertheless, capitalism will always have its faults. Like democracy, it is only as good as the morality of the people involved. Still, I’d rather live in a free capitalistic society than a restricted socialist one.
You say advocates of capitalism are blind to the world systems. I wish you’d explain that. If you mean we don’t recognize corporate exploitation, you’re wrong. We just have different solutions.
Please explain the preservatory measures you advocate for the healthcare system. All I’ve heard liberals advocate is massive tax and spend. Also, what organizing mechanism do you suggest to replace money in the healthcare system? How would you get people to cooperate? How would you ensure quality?
I say let the world operate by the only incentive it knows — self-interest. But let the church release the money God’s given its people and let’s build and run hospitals for the glory of God!
Julie,
ok, maybe the way I said that sounded like I think capitalism and socialism are equal … I should have said… both have evil and sin as part of their structure …
but to get to the point … if self interest is the basis upon which we should operate all government … then why complain when the so-called socialists pursue their aims? if we endorse self interest as the basis of a social system (Ayn Rand, Alan Greenspan) then why deny each one the right to kill an embryo? You see at the very least, when we recognize that self interest is the basis of a political system (thomas hobbes) then we as the church should not endorse it as the rightful basis for life together. We should in fact critique it and not allow its pernicous ways to destroy God’s people an seek a government that preserves us for God’s grace…
peace,
DF
Dave,
Oh good. I’m glad to hear you don’t think socialism and capitalism are equals.
I do NOT believe self-interest should be the basis of government. Our government was founded on law (Lex Rex as opposed to Rex Lex). Law acts as a check on self-interest — abortion, exploitation, etc… Our economy, however, was based on self-interest. Again, law (or morality) acts as a check on self-interest. I believe some regulation is needed. That is the difference between a democratic capitalistic society and laissez-faire one, as I understand it. But those regulations need to respect the fundamentals of the capitalistic system.
I don’t agree that capitalism has sin as part of its structure. Rather, it is neutral, but has sinful men participating in it. Capitalism acknowledges innate self-interest. Self-interest, though, is not sin; selfishness is sin. If self-interest were sin, then why would God promise, as C.S. Lewis put it, “unblushing promises of rewards” for those who honor Him?
Socialism, however, does have sin in its structure. It’s based on stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Though we all may want a more equitable economic system, the ends do not justify the means. Plus, socialism doesn’t acknowledge sinfulness. It expects government to act according to the common good. But,government is run by men as evil as any corporation. And lastly, it doesn’t recognize the nature of man — that he naturally pursues his own interests. Without incentive, he will not work.
I’ve been reading Timothy this week and I discovered something I’ve never noticed before. Paul instructs Timothy not to put a widow on the list of widows unless she is 60 yrs. old (unable to work?), has been faithful in marriage, and is well-known for doing all sorts of good things. He specifically instructs Timothy not to put young widows on the list because they will “become lazy.” I think as we aim to show compassion, we need to remember man’s basic nature and structure our economy accordingly.
OK Julie … we probably need to end the long debate here… on this blog at least … I’d like to get some other opinions …but to sum up .. I think you and I agree that a.) government can at best be presevratory in its actions, b.) that capitalism is based on self interest. Where you and I disagree is that somehow capitalism is neutral. For me, there are numerous ways capitalism shapes us all in to self interest, worse it shapes us away from the order of God. It shapes healthcare, it teaches us we should not have sex because we will hurt our economic standing (this is how they teach sex ed in public schools), it shapes us into being consumers. Capitalism is a social force that shapes our character. This finally is where we disagree. I am just not as interested in the theoretical debate concerning whether socialism or capitalism is a better system (following politucal theorist Zizek – to me they are two sides of the same coin). I am deeply concerned with how evangelicalism capitulates itself and mirrors capitalism in its own social organization. To me, to get deeper into these issues would take some serious study, beyond what I now consider long since passed writings of Novak, Hayek,a nd Milton Friedman … So maybe we can do this over coffee and at least come to an agreement that political theory is a much deeper conversation than we can have on this blog…
Peace! and I’ve enjoyed the give and take
dave, great post.. balanced and lucid. These are challenging times ..
I think “Obama Christians” should learn from “Bush Christians”. Bush collected votes for Christian values of life, the voters were then associated with every Republican position. After 8 years, the national discussion on life issues is in much the same place. And when the unexpected happens, personality cult may leave you supporting wars that you may not have supported before you bought into the person.
Social justice, like the sanctity of life, is a Christian virtue. A vote based on one issue will be used by party in power by all of its favorite issues. And crises may move the government in unanticipated (bad) directions.
Like Dave, I agree that our main concern is the Great Commission and not the Great Experiment. But for politics to make a difference, those who gave, worked, and voted must continue to hold the politicians feet to the fire.
… and on the socialism/capitalism subthread, I think they are co-dependant monsters that consume everything smaller and weaker than themselves. Either one unchecked in the hands of sinful humans has been disastrous.
I hope Obama will live up to his Christian faith, and do what is right in the sight of the LORD!
http://www.teamtruth.com/articles/art_godthebibleandjustice.htm
Amen????!
Julie – thank you for a very thoughtful and well reasoned response which essentially agrees with the point that we as Christians should not count on government to be our savior. David, I appreciate your passion and insights into the current struggles and how we can come together as the body of Christ to address the urgent needs of our society. But the use of words such as “carnivorous” to describe a capitalist system in which many Christians live and work does nothing to further your arguments, and only undermines your intent, I believe. I think Obama understands that fanning the flames of our discontent is not the way to find common ground.
Hurdler, you and Gordon have articulated my position better and more concisely than myself. Many thanks. See Gordon’s post on the subject which adds greatly to this dicussion here – (http://gordonhackman.blogspot.com/2008/11/politicized-christianity.html)
And to anonymous … I repent from the use of the word carnivorous … I agree, it’s not helpful … it has some tecnical usage in the lietrature of political theory which is how it slipped into my vocabulary.
Grateful to all, for this conversation …
Excellent post!
David: I agree that we now need to go back to building the Kingdom in small ways. I worked hard as a volunteer with the Obama campaign locally because I feel like any work we do now is in what has become a toxic environment in our land. As many have put it, politics is about damage control. My hope was just for some relief at the top to allow us to get back to the good stuff…maybe even with some real faith-based partnerships this time.
Where Do We Go From Here……it's Simple….."Faith"
The passion and simplicity this man demonstrates with "No Fear" he represents a pure candidate of "Faith" admists his peers…..as well as anyone who can carry off a speech with a similar poise of John F. Kennedy is one that deserves an "Act of hard righteous Faith in abundance" and love attached to it! He is a good man…..full of compassion and witts, and charm…..and clever. President Elect Barack Obama holds his tongue when neccessary; & becomes voluntarily expressive when it calls for direct attention. He is an extreme candidate…with all proper alertnesses attached. Only one area of expertise he must work on-that of being a written 10commandment! But, I have Faith…..He'll catch on soon enough; he is mightly brilliant!
Barack Obama is the best democrat president in my opinion. he makes the best judgment and foreign policies.. `