There is something about how folk who live closer to the land, to the "violence" of the earth, to the dog-eat-dog world, don't bristle as much as the "violence" of God, and the academic, suburban intelligentsia do find the idea of a God of "violence" as an offense to their own ethical framework. But what about those, whether rural or urban, uneducated or educated, who have experienced violence upon their own bodies and feel that any use of violence - even again their own enemies - represents a violation of love and felt safety in the world. Is Revelation good news for them? Are we just too far removed in 21st century, trauma-aware America? Can only those who are living with backs against the wall in the oppressed majority world - as Boesak suggests - possibly find comfort and solace in Revelation?
Have you considered that western (especially American progressive or liberal) Christians aren't reading Revelation in a vaccuum, can grok the power dynamics of the book, but understand the book is being weaponized *by* empire instead of *against* empire?
The instinctive reaction to the book is of course contextual, how could it not be? It may feel liberative to the oppressed Christian, but imagine what it feels like to those oppressed *by* the Christian.
"The strangest thing is how the very liberal group at church considers themselves to be social justice warriors. The very people who rage about injustice and oppression react very strangely when the Bible speaks up for victims and rains verbal fire down upon oppressors."
Your last paragraph literally made me laugh out loud because I have experienced this phenomena myself. I am in the UCC and have taken lay minister classes at a DOC seminary. My ecumenical professor is the head of the Ohio Council of Churches and during the civil unrest from the murder of George Floyd, was trying to drum up support for racial justice. The most socially progressive association of Ohio has a racial reconciliation team and I went to one of the meetings. My professor and I were the only African Americans.
The group was all gun how about reading and studying about racial justice but when my professor asked the group to actively join in working for racial justice, you could have heard a pin drop. The members of the team stared at us in total horror and then one person was brave enough to pipe up, "We prefer to read about these things". Then it was my turn to stare at them in astonishment.
Also during the same time in seminary, one of my classmates complained, "We say "Black Lives Matter" and wear buttons or may fly a banner in support, but we don't DO anything about the problem."
It's hard to relate to stories in which God finally takes vengeance on those who oppress the poor and defenseless when that has never been your position in life even though the Bible is very clear that one day God will take action.
Maybe people who have a problem with the violence in Revelation and cannot reconcile it with the love of Jesus need to go back and read Romans 12:19 - 21
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
After a century with more violence than this world had ever before experienced spilling over into this century that is delivering more of the same and which we all know about because it is brought into our homes by television and the internet . . . how can anyone "blanch" at Revelation? And yet some do because they have eyes that won't see and ears that won't hear. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for opening my eyes and ears to horrors that will one Day vanish when I behold the Beauty of His Face and hear Him call me by my name. "Maranatha!"
There is something about how folk who live closer to the land, to the "violence" of the earth, to the dog-eat-dog world, don't bristle as much as the "violence" of God, and the academic, suburban intelligentsia do find the idea of a God of "violence" as an offense to their own ethical framework. But what about those, whether rural or urban, uneducated or educated, who have experienced violence upon their own bodies and feel that any use of violence - even again their own enemies - represents a violation of love and felt safety in the world. Is Revelation good news for them? Are we just too far removed in 21st century, trauma-aware America? Can only those who are living with backs against the wall in the oppressed majority world - as Boesak suggests - possibly find comfort and solace in Revelation?
Have you considered that western (especially American progressive or liberal) Christians aren't reading Revelation in a vaccuum, can grok the power dynamics of the book, but understand the book is being weaponized *by* empire instead of *against* empire?
The instinctive reaction to the book is of course contextual, how could it not be? It may feel liberative to the oppressed Christian, but imagine what it feels like to those oppressed *by* the Christian.
"The strangest thing is how the very liberal group at church considers themselves to be social justice warriors. The very people who rage about injustice and oppression react very strangely when the Bible speaks up for victims and rains verbal fire down upon oppressors."
Your last paragraph literally made me laugh out loud because I have experienced this phenomena myself. I am in the UCC and have taken lay minister classes at a DOC seminary. My ecumenical professor is the head of the Ohio Council of Churches and during the civil unrest from the murder of George Floyd, was trying to drum up support for racial justice. The most socially progressive association of Ohio has a racial reconciliation team and I went to one of the meetings. My professor and I were the only African Americans.
The group was all gun how about reading and studying about racial justice but when my professor asked the group to actively join in working for racial justice, you could have heard a pin drop. The members of the team stared at us in total horror and then one person was brave enough to pipe up, "We prefer to read about these things". Then it was my turn to stare at them in astonishment.
Also during the same time in seminary, one of my classmates complained, "We say "Black Lives Matter" and wear buttons or may fly a banner in support, but we don't DO anything about the problem."
It's hard to relate to stories in which God finally takes vengeance on those who oppress the poor and defenseless when that has never been your position in life even though the Bible is very clear that one day God will take action.
Maybe people who have a problem with the violence in Revelation and cannot reconcile it with the love of Jesus need to go back and read Romans 12:19 - 21
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
After a century with more violence than this world had ever before experienced spilling over into this century that is delivering more of the same and which we all know about because it is brought into our homes by television and the internet . . . how can anyone "blanch" at Revelation? And yet some do because they have eyes that won't see and ears that won't hear. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for opening my eyes and ears to horrors that will one Day vanish when I behold the Beauty of His Face and hear Him call me by my name. "Maranatha!"