Occupy Portland - In Peaceful Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street

Beginning in New York city on Wall Street, we now have an organized group of protesters ready to help folks “Reclaim Your Voice.”  What are they protesting against? Pretty much anything that seems worth protesting about: Apartheid in Israel, loss of jobs, loss of pensions, union busting, decline in housing values, political corruption and cronyism, war, poverty, world hunger, student debt, greed, injustice, racism, CAPITALISM, and on goes the list. I have linked picture above to the Occupy Portland website so that you can see for yourself what they are saying.

To a certain extent, they want a total social revolution. They want to gather together in unity – but, I ask, solidarity around what? One person interviewed in a video on their page indicated that the exact demands are yet to be determined by the General Counsel (??). They are prepared to take action – but with no stated purpose or goal. The want change and revolution – but it would seem they have no idea what needs to happen or how the things they hope for will get better. This seems an entirely evolutionary movement (time + change/chaos + energy = order, life and a better tomorrow).

These well meaning folks (I generally mean this sincerely) actually believe that it is better to just tear down the existing order and hope for the best than to allow things to continue as they are. Their faith is in chaos (anarchists are part of this mix, by the way).  I was amazed to see that they are not only taking the Occupy Wall Street protests as their example, they are also praising the protests in Greece, London and Egypt. Really? Seriously? To overthrow governments with no viable or preferable alternatives? To see people demanding that their government continue and expand their benefits from a government that literally has no money at all. To see people burning and looting their own neighborhoods? This is the model upon which to build a positive and progressive protest movement? Really? Seriously?

For them the protesting itself is a model for a new society – a mass uprising, with a mass voice to build a community that can truly speak about the needs of people.

To be quite honest – I’m troubled by many of the same kinds of things that they are worked up about. But on their own terms, and in their own words – they have no stated remedy. They have not plan except to raise their voices on high. They have no more hope than to be in unity over their disunity with the establishment.

But there is no hope for”peace on earth” or “good will towards men” apart from Jesus Christ (Luke 2:14). Revolution and “change” are no alternative to the loving God who cared so much about many of the same things they are protesting about that he sent His Son, Jesus, to set the world aright (Luke 4:18-21). When Jesus came and preached His good news to the poor, the brokenhearted, calling for deliverance of captives, sight for the blind and liberty for the oppressed – he came to a people that were more oppressed, poorer and more silenced than anyone in our culture is today. They were under the domineering oppression of the occupying Roman forces, with crushing taxation, and conspicuous greed. What was their response to His raised voice? What was their response to the voices of those who followed Him? What was their response as Christians began to implement His program with world changing effects? The wanted to throw Him down over a cliff (Luke 4:29). They put to death those who followed Him.

What do you suppose the people marching in protest tomorrow, October 6th, would do in response if Jesus were there among them in agreement with many of their concerns, and raised His voice, saying: “Follow me! I am the Way, the Truth and the Life!” They would likely through Him into the Willamete River and keep marching. Marching, and raising their voices to no one in particular. Marching, with no realistic hope of accomplishing anything at all. At best, there will be little or nothing come of this sad display of solidarity. At worst, we could see scenes of deplorable violence. But in the end – it will not be the Kingdom of God, “peace on earth” or “good will towards men.”

May God enable the Church to raise her voice with true, Biblical solutions to these real problems – and articulate the good news of Jesus and His word in such a way that people see the wisdom and practical value of the Bible’s solutions to the problems of mankind. Sadly, we have not yet found our voice to answer their concerns in any kind of way that meets the needs of people where they are.

Here is a video from the Occupy Portland website (from Occupy Wall Street, which Occupy Portland is in solidarity with) – so that you can see for yourself how optimistically they anticipate good things from this movement, and how utterly hopeless they really are. Warning: There are some swear words used by those interviewed.

Tags: NT - Luke, Occupy Portland, Politics, protest, revolution