Addressing militancy, anger, & radicalization in our midst

[Dan Z]

Unsurprisingly, I'm seeing a rapid increase in conspiracy theories, political militancy, and social radicalization - including among those in our Anabaptist circles (even some influencers). I believe this will only get worse as the crisis and fear and anger escalates. In a worldly sense, this is to be expected during times of turmoil, fear, and threat.

But we are not of the world...and these things are not our way - they undercut our collective witness.

I'm more convinced than ever that we are called by Christ to be peacemakers, we are sent by Him to be ministers of His love and compassion, and we are redeemed by Jesus to offer His hope and light in a world that is in the darkness. Conspiracy theories, political militancy, and social radicalization have no part of this witness. If people are going to see Jesus in us, we HAVE to stand for something different - and we HAVE to find a way to gently but firmly speak the truth in love, and correct or even rebuke these things when they manifest themselves in our midst. We may be accosted in the process as that anger and fear get's turned in our direction. But if our witness for the cause of Christ matters, sitting by silently by to avoid conflict is not an option.

So...

[appleman2006]

While I have not seen it to a great degree I have seen some. Today I went outside of my comfort zone to solidly rebuke what I saw as a very racist statement made by someone on FB. I do not know the person and have no idea whether the person making the statement was even a professing Christian just to be clear.

[MaxPC]

Times of crisis are very good litmus tests to show us our faults and virtues.
-Do we panic and speculate or do we trust God and help our neighbor?
-Do we get angry or do we pray?

These are free will choices available to us. What is our litmus paper telling us?

[barnhart]

Unsurprisingly, I'm seeing a rapid increase in conspiracy theories, political militancy, and social radicalization...

These are fear responses. The message of a Kingdom that can never be shaken is needed more than ever.

[Josh]

Unsurprisingly, I'm seeing a rapid increase in conspiracy theories, political militancy, and social radicalization...

These are fear responses. The message of a Kingdom that can never be shaken is needed more than ever.

Indeed. A bio weapon sounds scary. A king who is in charge of whether or not nations wage war is a reassuring message.

[Bootstrap]

Unsurprisingly, I'm seeing a rapid increase in conspiracy theories, political militancy, and social radicalization - including among those in our Anabaptist circles (even some influencers). I believe this will only get worse as the crisis and fear and anger escalates. In a worldly sense, this is to be expected during times of turmoil, fear, and threat.

But we are not of the world...and these things are not our way - they undercut our collective witness.

I'm more convinced than ever that we are called by Christ to be peacemakers, we are sent by Him to be ministers of His love and compassion, and we are redeemed by Jesus to offer His hope and light in a world that is in the darkness. Conspiracy theories, political militancy, and social radicalization have no part of this witness. If people are going to see Jesus in us, we HAVE to stand for something different - and we HAVE to find a way to gently but firmly speak the truth in love, and correct or even rebuke these things when they manifest themselves in our midst. We may be accosted in the process as that anger and fear get's turned in our direction. But if our witness for the cause of Christ matters, sitting by silently by to avoid conflict is not an option.

So...

So media sources that are more reflective and peaceful are better than media sources that are more combative, phrasing most stories in pre-defined narratives of "us" versus "them". Most of us come to reflect the things that shape our understanding and our feelings.

And maybe that requires us to be a little more honest with ourselves about how the way we feel and respond and understand things changes depending on where we go for information?

[barnhart]

In normal times I work around the unchurched radical right and have constant contact, and I think it is largely a fear driven subculture. I just assume one reason God put me here, through a series of strange events, is to be an alternative, sort of an alt to the alt-right. If we can demonstrate lives free of entitlement and ownership (which produces anger over loss), free of materialism and greed, identification with and love for the marginalized, freedom from entanglements with cultural struggles that isolate people into tribes, sufficient confidence in Jesus and his Kingdom that we don't need "our" type of government to be happy or thrive, it may serve to inoculate some soul from the deceptions that draw people deeper into radicalization and violence. At least they will know another way exists.

I recently heard an interview with a black man who intentionally befriends white supremacists. He has a collection of klan robes given to him by klansmen who quit the organization and gave him their robes as a symbol of his positive influence on their lives. That is only possible for people who know their true identity on the deepest level and are not easily shaken by opposition and disrespect.

There is a time and place for the prophetic voice to speak out. I wondered about that several years ago when I attended a pastors encouragement event and parked beside a large pickup festooned with alt-right bumper stickers. The whole event I wondered who that person was. But there is also a time for living and loving quietly, anger and radicalization are not the only the only human responses that are contagious.

[RZehr]

In normal times I work around the unchurched radical right....

Interesting. This is in Brooklyn?

[barnhart]

In normal times I work around the unchurched radical right....

Interesting. This is in Brooklyn?

I live in Brooklyn but work in the burbs, Nassau Co.. Here the aggrieved right is mostly populated by those whose parents fled "urbanization" (code word for blackness) for the suburbs.

[Josh]

In normal times I work around the unchurched radical right....

Interesting. This is in Brooklyn?

I live in Brooklyn but work in the burbs, Nassau Co.. Here the aggrieved right is mostly populated by those whose parents fled "urbanization" (code word for blackness) for the suburbs.

Are you saying they should have stayed in NYC in the 1980s when crime levels were unbearable? (See Maxo’s book, A Resident Alien In Search of a Home, for example.)