“ You can’t claim to trust in God, and spend trillions on weapons. Jesus put it bluntly , ‘for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also ‘ [ Matthew 6:21 ] “ Postcards from Babylon, by Brian Zahnd.
Brian Zahnd is American. I am a Canadian. I work for Mennonite Central Committee, and the Poole Mennonite Church. Since December I am also a municipal politician in the Waterloo Region in one of the townships. As a Christian, I am committed to the way of nonviolence. I do not always live up to this vision and mission for my life. I do not think that the state ( Canadian government ) will be pacifist. I will not demand it, from my faith, because that is not the state’s role to be pacifist . But, I think we/I should comment on the ways that Canada’s military/government goes about its activity in the world. The state should live up to its own vision, ethics and values.
Canada used to be part of UN peacekeeping missions, and then during a recent Liberal government we left it, but my understanding is that we have returned to this kind of military activity. I do not think that we should be in the business of selling weapons to civil wars, and to regimes that are trying to put down legitimate minorities. We should not make money when people suffer from those arms sales. Look at Saudi Arabia. Why are they a legitimate buyer of our weapons ? Why should we benefit economically from providing weapons to a country with large human rights questions ? They are using our weapons to fight in Yemen. That is not what we want for Canada.
I believe in God. I trust God. Can I just sit back , and say nothing, while the state defends my security through the threat or use of weapons. Do I have more faith in small armoured vehicles than I do in the saving grace of Jesus ? Why should my life be dependant on whether Canada has enough weapons to defend me ( and my faith ) ? How is depending on God for your security different than depending on the military ( ours or NATO or the United States ) ?
Recently, Project Ploughshares asked Prime Minister Trudeau to end the military contracts to Saudi Arabia . Ploughshares is a group churches who want to rid the world of small arms and nuclear weapons, and demilitarize all countries. They are realistic about their aims, and work at calling countries and weapons manufacturers to be about justice and peace.
So, I am a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. When Christians say that we have to be ready to defend ourselves, I see in my mind a picture of Jesus holding a sword or machine gun. If I mix the two, my faith and our military, then that is what I am doing, and I am not comfortable with that. The early church was not to take up arms, but when the Church became part of the Empire, then the church was co-opted by the need to defend our privilege and power. The Church of the New Testament was left by the side of the road. Are we part of the Empire today ?
I will keep working for peace.
Fred Redekop
Ponder Anew 