Part Two – Roadmaps & Freedom
If you missed the first part of this series, click here… Last week, we introduced the concept of a “Cold Civil War” by discussing some of the division within our nation and the need for a greater dialogue and a greater sense of hope. We looked at a particular parable—a symbolic story that is being told to our nation through the unsuspecting world of Marvel comics and cinema—the Captain America series. We discussed some of the prophetic messages found in the first two films and now we’ll look at the last film in the series, which really gets into the heart of the matter . . .
The third Captain American film Civil War follows super-soldier Steve Rogers who has since teamed up with more superheroes and allies. Together they form the unstoppable “Avengers.” The movie opens up with a scene where one of the other superheroes kills a deadly villain, but in the process ends up destroying the whole floor of a public building, which brings about the death of many innocent people. This is a case of tragic collateral damage caused by an act that was meant for good.
This event, as well as other previous instances of collateral damage, leads to a concern amongst Congress and other international entities about the rogue nature of Captain America and his superhero team. The U.S. Secretary of State approaches the team and tells them that multitudes of nations have signed an agreement asking that the Avengers be held under governmental oversight—particularly under a United Nations panel. This would be for accountability purposes and the “greater good.”
Now something very important happens before this. One of the other superheroes—Iron Man—is approached by a woman who lost her son because of another instance of collateral damage caused by the Avengers. The team was saving the entire world from a super-villain but ended up destroying another building in the process—a building where this lady’s son was serving as a humanitarian worker. The woman is filled with obvious pain and blames Iron Man for her son’s death, which grates heavily at his conscience.
So once the Avengers are told to come under governmental oversight, the team is divided—and this is where the concept of a “civil war” begins to play out. Captain America and several others on the team believe this is a huge mistake. They express that government accountability comes with human agendas and red tape, which can greatly influence how they function in the future.
On the other hand, Iron Man and several others are impacted by the harm they have caused and are a lot more open to the idea. Though there’s hesitation, they do not see anything wrong with yielding to stronger accountability and oversight. This ends up splitting the team, as half of them go with Captain America and choose not to operate under the United Nations while the other half stays with the government.
There’s a deep underlying message behind all of this. But first, let me explain the title of this series . . .
“A Cold Civil War”
The phrase “a cold civil war” randomly came to my mind a few weeks ago as I was thinking and praying about different issues at work in our country. Upon further thought and research, I found that this phrase can encapsulate much of where we’re at today. And surprisingly, the Captain America movies succinctly fit into it.
The “civil war” part of this phrase obviously brings our minds to the time when our country became so divided that it reached the boiling point of war—the American Civil War of the 19th century. The “cold” part of this phrase brings up a different war—the Cold War of the 20th century.
The Cold War got its name primarily because there was no large-scale fighting or firepower involved (although there were certainly smaller proxy wars around the world where life was lost). The Cold War was more of a battle of ideology and policy. It was essentially a battle between Communism and Democracy. It was fought between nations that had iron-fisted government control along with the supposed distribution of wealth versus governments that were based more on free markets, the rights of the individual, and the restriction of government regulation and oversight. In the end, that latter nations succeeded as the communistic governments collapsed in on themselves. This has been recognized as a tremendous advance forward in the empowerment and freedom of humanity.
In similar fashion, freedom rang out at the end of the American Civil War when the Union overtook the Confederacy and brought about the beginning stages of dismantling slavery in our country. Slavery is one of the worst forms of human “control” known to man. Yet it was dealt a mortal wound through this incredibly painful season of national conflict.
Both wars thus led to a greater amount of freedom and rights to individuals; although it was obviously a long and painful road to get there.
The War Today
Today, we are in the midst of another subtler and more hidden “Cold War” right within the country—hence a Cold Civil War. Among many other issues, there are strong differences over the government’s place in the life of our nation. There are some calling for stronger government oversight and intervention, and some who are calling for less government involvement. Both sides have extreme passion and beliefs that undergird their positions.
In the religious sphere, there is a parallel battle going on. There are sharp disagreements over the message of law and grace. Proponents of fear, control, and religious oversight are coming against new movements within the church. These movements can be summed up by certain phrases such as “grace,” “house church,” “the finished work of the cross,” and “five-fold ministry” (a form of leadership that empowers the people for ministry and de-emphasizes the leadership structures of previous church hierarchies). There is also a subtle battle within the Roman Catholic Church as new leadership is emerging that is promoting more of a grace-filled approach to certain issues.
So like in the days of the Civil War and Cold War, there is battle for greater freedom on every level of society. And freedom will certainly win out, just like it did in the past . . . The hope is that it wins out with the least amount of resistance.
Now before you think that I’m necessarily picking sides and pushing one group in front of the other, I want to bring the discussion back to the Civil War movie and why it’s such a beautiful parable for our nation (and for the church). Though certain members of the Avengers want to embrace more government regulation, the movie highlights the real pain and struggle behind their decision. It is not a “black and white” issue. It is far more complicated and both sides have valid points. (Although each party has a hard time empathizing with the other . . . Sound familiar?)
So as we prepare to go deeper into some of the differing viewpoints within politics and religion, let me first give two important disclaimers . . .
First, this is not about ring-wing/left-wing and which is better. There is a Kingdom of peace that is far above our terminology and that is where our hearts need to be centered. We will return to this at the end and wrap everything up in a nail-pierced bow.
The second disclaimer is this: The rest of this series is sure to offend elements of conservative Christianity as well as liberal politics. If you are worried about missing your chance on being offended, just stay tuned and eventually we’ll get to you.
We are going to begin by dissecting some of the underlying philosophies behind liberal politics and unpack some of the dangers involved with higher governmental control. This will lend itself to a natural criticism of socialism and certain elements of the Democratic Party (which, ironically, will tie into the problems of legal structures and emphases within the religious realm—hence, much of conservative Christianity).
Looking at the Heart
So I want to say right off the bat that I approach the following topic with a high degree of value towards the hearts of my friends who lean in a political direction that is more “liberal.” This is a direction that often puts a heavy emphasis on social change. For all my other friends who would align themselves in the “conservative” political camp, I want you to know that God designed us to function in a socialist type community. You can read the second chapter of Acts to see how the early church embodied this. In fact, it was even closer to communism!
I want to commend those who fight for the oppressed and have genuine concern for the immigrant, for the healthcare of the poor, for the earth and its climate. This is really good stuff and many are simply pursuing their unique calling as beings who are called to be stewards of the earth and who are made in the image of a Triune God. God exists in an other-giving relationship and we reflect that image. This means we are made to be in relationship with each other and with the earth God has given us. (If the religious language bothers you, you can think of this whole concept in terms of our communal identity as symbiotic entities upon this organic and beautiful “pale blue dot” in the heavens.)
The point is, we are designed for relational connection alongside justice and equality, which are key elements of liberal movements. We desperately need to stop vilifying people and learn to see the good in other’s hearts. I understand evil is at work, but we do not wrestle with flesh and blood. Jesus was not wringing his hands, anxious and raging over Herod’s politics (if you think Trump or Hillary is the antichrist incarnate…trust me…you have no idea the kind of world it was to live under Herod or Pontius Pilate. Next to them, Hillary is a saint and Trump is the freakin pope).
Too many times I see conservatives and Christians putting a proverbial “666” sticker on the heads of every liberal voice whilst calling out conspiracy theories and demonic agendas behind their every word. But this is often fear-based rhetoric that only tears us a part and makes us more and more ostracized from each other.
Beyond the sound-bites and the memes and the prepared speeches are real people with hearts and desires and fears and hurts. Whether these hurts are perceived or real, people deserve to be heard. There will be no healing without attempting to understand one another, which comes by suspending judgment long enough to hear their pain and story. People on both sides are feeding into a toxic air of division that is stagnating the country and breeding more and more division. But this is easy when we characterize people all the time, painting liberals as idiot hippy idealists, or conservatives as close-minded straw-chewing racists. And that’s how we lose the story behind each person. And in losing their story, we lose their uniqueness and worth. And thus we lose sight of the precious image of God within them.
What the Conflict Comes Down To
The painful thing about the movie Civil War is seeing how the Avenger team ends up fighting each other. You can see that in reality they are all on the same team . . . and they all want the same thing. They just disagree with how to get there. And part of this disagreement stems from either misunderstanding or from being deceived by a greater and unseen manipulator.
And that is really our current struggle.
So with all that being said, I’m not going to ignore the fact that there is an agenda to institute forms of government that is not conducive to health and long-term growth. And this is where I will jump in and risk being characterized myself as close-minded or unprogressive. But I believe there is great work to be done in the political spheres in which we operate and we should be aware and prayerful of the issues at hand.
(A quick side-note: I know what some might be thinking… We don’t need political involvement and discussion; we just need Jesus. Jesus for president and that’s all!
Now I get this. I really do. But I also recognize that it is so easy for us to say stuff like this behind the safety of our computers in the Republic of the United States of America where our rights are protected due to the hard-fought freedoms birthed through ideological, military, and economic conflicts that went before us. Conflicts that Jesus-followers often got involved with, and prayed through, as difficult as that was at times. Jesus does cares about the systems in which we operate and he is raising up people to penetrate government structures with greater freedom, just like he is raising up people to penetrate constricting religious structures. I understand politics is not the answer to bringing heaven on earth. But it is still a part of this green earth and we can’t completely abandon it in the name of some wise-sounding but aloof doctrine of peace.)
The issue is ultimately how we go about attaining the things that we all desire—justice, equality, freedom. In the end, that’s what the vast majority of people want. But it is solving these problems that is the real crux of the matter. And that is where the division often lies, unfortunately getting us to miss our common goals and argue over the roadmap that we’re using to get there.
But here’s the deal: There are better paths to get to certain destinations. That is not a close-minded statement. That’s just geography.
That said, I do want to challenge some elements of liberal and Democrat philosophies in the roadmap. I pray you are able to hear my heart and honestly look at the overarching picture as we discuss all of this. This will also bleed into some spiritual discussion on the nature of conservative Christianity and some harmful elements there as well.
And, it seems unfortunately that my long-winded disclaimers have taken up the whole article! So we’ll have to dive into this next week . . .