By The Rev. Dr. Oscar Cole-Arnal

For years “sophisticated” Christians scoffed or gently chuckled at the end of world fantasies of our more Pentecostal or fundamentalist sisters and brothers. Their seemingly endless attraction to the book of Revelation with its catastrophic imagery strikes us as bizarre and the preserve of the simple-minded. The book of Revelation stands apart as strange and hardly uplifting for those of us who desire a religious faith which provides calm and “feel good” fuzziness which has no place in this last New Testament book with its premonitions of chaos, disaster and judgement.

I must admit that I do not buy much of the fundamentalistic interpretation of this book, but having said that I am convinced that what that book’s author faced in the first century we face now with all the sound and fury that book conveyed. After all, the communities to which this John wrote faced their own denials of the horror to come. Remember the condemnation of the church at Laodicea where God was disgusted at that community’s lukewarm behavior. At that time the puny people of God faced a mighty Roman Empire, which was notorious for its success in gobbling up land from peasant farmers, building cities which like parasites leeched off water and land from rural fields and villages. This empire promised that if people got on board they would find success, wealth, power and endless entertainment. What about the resisters, Christians among them? Well, if you’re not for us, you’re against us, terrorists against the Roman Peace (Pax Romana). For such, Rome had its mighty army, its brutal repressive tactics and the horror of crucifixion and assassination for the rebels. John, the prophet of Asia Minor Christians, called these values and practices “marks of the beast.” Interestingly enough, although this circular letter underscores the brutal violence of evil power, it points out also the commercial character of the Beast: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon [Rome] the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons,... the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxury.... And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore (18:2- 3, 11). Then the author underscores the trade items, including humans for sale (slaves)(18:11- 13). Do images of Nike, Mexican maquiladores, Wal-Mart, etc. come to mind with their employment of slave labour? John portrays the merchant class mourning and weeping as they face their profit losses, for these merchants were once “magnates of the earth (18:23).” For those who came to count on luxurious consumption John had this to say: “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your dainties and your splendor are lost to you, never to be found again (18:14).” He reminded his readers that this Roman beast turned upon the faithful prophets murdering and marginalizing them for their truth-telling (18:24). No wonder the Patmos prophet instructed his people: “Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins (18:4).” Amazingly enough, this crazy book of Revelation became the manifesto of such sophisticated Christians as Father Daniel Barrigan, noted Jesuit peace activist, and lay Episcopal lawyer theologian William Stringfellow, once a speaker at the Western Pennsylvania-West Virginia Synod.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2002
World Summit opens with call
to end poverty, save resources
By Laurie Goering
Chicago Tribune
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The expansion of free trade - often promoted as a way to solve the world's social, economic and environmental problems - has only widened the gap between rich and poor nations and failed to slow ecological degradation, South African President Thabo Mbeki charged yesterday as he opened the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
... "We do not accept that human society should be constructed on the basis of a savage principle of the survival of the fittest," said Mbeki, who will chair the 10-day United Nations conference in Johannesburg...
..."A global human society based on poverty for many and prosperity for a few, characterized by islands of wealth surrounded by a sea of poverty, is unsustainable," Mbeki said. He said that "human society possesses the capacity, the knowledge and the resources to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment," but ding so will require wealthier nations to recognize their "differentiated responsibility."...
...Mbeki's remarks come as the Bush administration has backed away from international engagement, except in it's war on terror. President Bush, who has expressed strong suspicion of international bodies and agreements, will not join the more than 100 world leaders expected to attend the Johannesburg summit.

Return of the Roman Beast:

Today war, rumors of war, war-mongering and corporate scandal and massive implosion (Enron, WorldCom, Martha Stewart)recapitulate the disasters and chaos described almost two thousand years ago by John of Patmos. For believers attuned to visions of disaster, found richly embodied in Biblical faith, all the efforts by the Bush administration and his corporate gurus at “damage control” fall to ashes before the glaring light of Biblical truth. All the muscle-bound sabre-rattling of American imperial power cannot hide the economic idolatrous rot of latter-day capitalism where the Enrons and WorldCom’s are only the blatant manifestation of a morally bankrupt and corrupt system. For the first time in decades major American and transnational corporations and their shenanigans have become front-page stories day after day in the mainline media. By now those who follow the news are well aware that the greatest economic fallout of corporate corruption in U.S. history has swept like an uncontrollable forest fire upon the American republic. In the wake of criminal accounting figures publicized as massive profits have emerged as red ink to the tune of billions of dollars. And these proved to be out and out lies (not simple mistakes) because CEOs and their stock-holding friends were warned of the coming debacle so that they could sell off their stock for windfall gains days before they knew these stocks would plummet in value. In the wake of the collapse ordinary Americans, and Canadians as well, watched their cherished retirement savings go up in smoke, and thousands of employees in the transgressing companies– all without warning– were sent walking with their pink slips. And now we see a select number of indicted CEOs, some in handcuffs, forced to testify in open court. If it were not for the economic tragedy heaped upon massive sectors of the public, it would be utterly laughable (think Dilbert and Doonsbury) watching the economic gurus of Wall Street and Alan Greenspan tread water with their less than assuring whistles in the dark. And we see our nation’s two highest politicians Bush and Cheney, themselves rich through corporate corruption and insider trading. Indeed, both men proved to be failures in their corporate lives, and without rich friends to bail them out at the expense of the public, they would have been swimming in debt and business collapse. In fact, Bush’s people in positions of economic power came straight from the high echelons of “big business.” Just as chilling is the fact that George W. was the presidential choice of corporate America. Lest we feel that we must turn to the reform-zealous Democrats we need to take a hard look at the previous behavior of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Although in the last ten years the Republicans have received more than half of corporation campaign donations, the Democrats managed about 45% of all big business donations. After all, Bill Clinton’s administration promoted with gusto the expansion of hemispheric trade deals(NAFTA to FTAA) which offered a bonanza to the sweat-shop maquiladoras with their cheap labor and economic vulnerability to all North and South American workers. And now congress has given President “inside trader” Bush fast-track powers to negotiate the FTAA Agreement (NAFTA on steroids). Note as well that ninety-year old Granny D’s (Doris Haddock’s) cross-country walk for campaign finance reform met a bi-partisan chill when she arrived in Washington, D.C. No surprise that she got herself arrested.

What about congressional reform of corporate ethics? Can we count on that? Indeed not! Although the administration talks tough and although Wall Street and business magazines call for reform, the substance they offer is mere tinkering, you know, rearranging desk chairs on the Titanic. The incestuous interlock of corporations and financial companies remains untouched as do stock options and off-shore accounts. Indeed, it’s all about reassuring a jittery public (p. r. fluff only), shoring up the god called “the market” and leaving reform in the hands of the corporate predators themselves. That’s like asking Lucky Luciano to watchdog the ethics of Al Capone. Where is a pro-citizen activist government moving in with stiff penalties, corporate take-overs and clean-ups? Where are the outcries against “privatization” and its outrageous excesses? Bush huffs and puffs, Gore pontificates against the mote in his brother’s eye, Democrat Congress members vote against stiffer measures, and corporate gurus wring their hands and tell us not to panic. In the last few years the only well-known politico willing to tell the blunt truth has been Ralph Nader.

In all of this we go to church Sunday after Sunday, and well we should. We affirm our Lord Jesus Christ, the family member we received in holy baptism, and well we should. Now what? Who are we and what do we do now that we are confronted with the same snarling beast who attacked John of Patmos and his tottering congregations? If you react like myself then you want the beast to fall asleep, smile at us a bit and help get us back to “business” as usual (if you’ll pardon the pun). Wouldn’t it be nice to see the stocks go up so that we can sigh with relief about our middle class pensions? Wouldn’t we be happier if our pink slips gave way to a job, any job, to keep us from the shame and poverty of welfare? Couldn’t we trust our politicians to tinker a bit with some cosmetic reforms that allow us to anaesthetize ourselves with sit-coms and buy those useless gadgets that promise good feeling, youth, sexiness or status? Hey, it’s the American way. Doesn’t it warm the heart to know that Playboy parlayed the Enron Scandal into a photo-op for women employees there willing to strip and appear nude in America’s premiere sex for sale magazine? Such a strategy just might work– at least that was the take of the Laodicea congregation around year 90 C.E.

John of Patmos wanted nothing to do with Laodicea’s “lukewarm” approach to chaos. “You (Laodiceans) say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” John’s response was blunt: “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth (3:14- 22).” I suspect that these church members were both pragmatic and realistic. I think they thought: “Look, we’re Christians, but, you know, we have to live in the world! Why not offer a pinch of incense to the altar of the emperor? After all, in our heart we’re still Christians, and by doing this, we increase our credibility within the empire. That way we can witness and get a hearing.” How often I hear such logic! How often I’m tempted by it, by the “live and let live” philosophy. The corporate beast gets its nourishment by our cowardly indifference, by our halfway measures.

But I take heart at the very moment I type these words. As an historian I know how very much our roots feed us. And your roots are a blessing to you in this time. What I mean by this are the prophetic voices of the DMS in the 1980s. The beast that meandered from the Mahoning Valley in the 1970s to Pittsburgh and environs in the 1980s, feeding parasitically while it travelled, encountered the little flocks of DMS. Confronting U.S. Steel and Mellon Bank these pastors and faithful people named the corporate evil directly and found themselves entangled with the institutional corporate octopus of politicians, media, courts and church leaders. We remember the outrageous non-violent prophetic actions of skunks, bread and dead fish, church disruptions, besieged churches, street Eucharist's and pastors and laity bearing witness behind bars. These faithful Christians (many who reside among you) did not call for minimal reform, charitable institutions or glowing words without deeds. Nor did they succumb to the neat distinction made by LCA president Crumley, so facile in justifying his retreat behind so-called economic laws as if these were not subject to the Word of God.

Certainly the bravery, the faithfulness and creativity of the DMS/Confessing Synod have left their historical mark, but I believe that its enduring legacy will be its prophetic vision and fidelity to God’s radical Word so embodied in the Pittsburgh Confession. DMS understood the fundamental evil (the beast) behind the massive destruction of the three-rivers steel industry. Before Enron, WorldCom, et.al. the Pittsburgh Confession affirmed the First Commandment against idolatry– one God, one Lord Jesus Christ, this God and no other. In light of this the DMS confession stated unequivocally that “we must also reject specifically the acceptance by our church leaders of the ‘corporate model’ as another gospel for the church.” This legacy became emblazoned as reality by the willingness of the Confessing Synod faithful to show by cruciform lifestyles that these words have feet. I am reminded of jail cell Bible studies and testimonies of these brave souls that adversity stimulated their faith and prayer life. As one Canadian radical put it so very well: “It seems the only apostle without a prison record was Judas Iscariot.” DMS perceived that the corporate beast was evil not because it broke the law but because it was a law unto itself over against the Word of God. The illegalities and unethical behavior of Enron, et.al. grow quite naturally out of a system geared to profit, greed and power and “to hell” with the elderly, the poor, people of color, Mexicans and other people of the global South and, indeed, the very eco-system itself. The corporate system is a false god, a destructive idol, rotten to the very core– the Beast of the book of Revelation. Look at Wal-Mart, Nike and others, just in those areas where they break no laws, and we still see destruction of all God’s creation and a systematic violation of the entire Ten Commandments and the teaching of Jesus.

DMS had it right; DMS has it right still. As Christian we are called both to opt out and develop guerrilla resistance to the system in the very American heart of the beast. Lifestyle questions, serious Bible study, prophetic action, impatience with evil, and collective outrageous programs that laugh in the face of the beast. Be faithful mosquitoes and dive bomb the beast in creative silliness and seriousness. We cannot lose. We can be jailed, fired, closed down, harassed, maligned, even killed, but like martyrdom throughout Christian history, we cannot be wiped out. We will have moments of celebration, and we will mourn, but remember, “the meek shall inherit the earth (Mt. 5:5).” No, we cannot lose. After all, God rules. “Thy kingdom come on earth as in heaven (Mt. 6:10).” We heard from John of Patmos. He should have the last word, or as he knew, God will have the last word: “I [John] saw a new heaven and a new earth.... And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven.... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be His people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more (Rev. 21:1- 4).”

The Rev. Dr. Oscar Cole--Arnal
Waterloo Theological Seminary