The inscription on the small church monument in Moscow indicates that it was erected to thank God for the Russian victory over the Turks in 1877. With the cross ascending in triumph, the crescent is subjugated beneath.
While in Moscow,I spoke to a group of English speaking students about America in the sixties and the various movements that I had participated in.I shared with them how fascinated I was by the opportunity to reflect on the nature of the American Empire through the lens of my being in the Russian Empire. We worked our way into the issue of how nation's tell their story. One student said that as a young person he had believed that the Russian army never lost a war. Indeed, I saw no monuments to the Crimean War or the war with Japan in 1905. Yes, those Russians really just want to focus on their armies' victories.
Have you ever noticed that the History Channel offers maybe 8 or 10 times more programs about WWII than about Vietnam. When George Bush wants to drag and deceive the nation into war, he describes the enemy as part of the axis of evil. Remember the Axis, especially the Nazis--well, this is the new axis, but they are just as evil and we are as good as ever. So let's march. Onward Christian Soldiers. Wrap the consciousness of the nation as much as possible in memories of the good wars or at least the relatively good wars. Tell them the enemy is of the devil. God is on our side, because we are good Russian Orthodox Christians or good American Christians or whatever. Our cause is just and we will win. After victory, we will build some kind of monument to thank God for blessing us.
In the US, we sometimes sing,"God Bless America". I especially love the phrase where we urge God to stand beside us and guide us. But I am finally appalled at any implication that God's preoccupation is mainly to bless us Americans and to ignore or even curse those others.
At the end of Dickens' Christmas Carol, Tiny Tim cries out in joy and thanksgiving 'God Bless Us Everyone'. That's our prayer. That's our true song.
How can we come to tell the stories of all the nations, of all the people in such a way that honors everyone for are we not all children of the Creator? How do we tell our own personal story with truth and integrity? How do we tell the story of 'our people'? Who are 'our people'?
2 comments:
Brooks:
Your wife is right: your writing belongs on the published page. The depth of your thinking and feeling is a gift: thanks for the blessing.
Peace,
Don
Nationalism in any form is cheap and evil. Ahh, is there something more disgusting than being cheap and evil simultaneously. All nationalists are guilty not just americans...the olympics a parade of nationalists...i would like to see an olympia say...i won this medal for all of humanity...or for the child soldiers of the world..or for rape victims...nationalism is a disease that your message helps combat.
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