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Topic: Power (05/10/04)
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TITLE: POWER GONE WRONG By Marie B. Corso 05/11/04 |
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As a Christian, were you disgusted when you saw the pictures of the inhumane treatment of Iraqi prisoners? The American military shamed its captives in a dehumanizing and degrading way. And recent news implies that what we have seen is only the tip of the iceberg. There is more to come, and it’s all bad.
They are the enemy. We know that. We don’t think they should be pampered or given special treatment. We are only required to take care of their basic needs while they pass long boring days in confinement. But why use such humiliating tactics to demonstrate your dislike? Didn’t Jesus say, “Love your enemies.”? If America, whose dominant religion is Christianity, can’t demonstrate to the world it can treat prisoners with respect, what country will?
One picture showing a female soldier holding an unclothed man on the end of a leash while she smiles and allows a picture to be taken is like something you’d expect to find in a trashy magazine. She has the uniform, and perhaps the gun. She has the power. But what does this picture really show? It’s a vivid depiction of power gone wrong.
As bad as that picture is, I think the one with a nude Iraqi prisoner with a woman’s undergarment over his head is even worse because it says, “I know what you think of women. I know your religion’s rules about covering the body. Here’s what I think about your religion and your treatment of women.” The symbolism in these pictures is so clear it screams at you. And if you are a child of God, it breaks your heart.
At the center of such treatment is sin. Might as well call it what it is.
Jesus has all power. He is God. When he was on earth, he didn't degraded people. His message was love, forgiveness, and redemption. Yes, the religious rulers of the day were verbally upbraided for their contradictory super-religious ways. Surely, Jesus’ responses to them, looking at them with deep love and concern, had to reach their hearts. And, yes, I know he got upset about the circus in the temple and displayed anger. He was human, too, and he was defending his Father’s house. But these were exceptions, not his everyday demeanor. He healed, preached, taught, explained, and showed compassion and care to the captives of sin -- us. However, he could have displayed might, if he chose that path. He had the right. He had the power. But he did not abuse that power. He used it wisely, and for us, he relinquished it for a time until resurrection power brought him out of the grave.
Just suppose our military had offered the Iraqi prisoners opportunities to sing, or share their experiences under Saddam in small groups, or go to classes in democracy, or be treated with kindness and caring. What if we had offered them good books to read, great movies to watch, and other activities that would have healed their hearts? Maybe they would have had respect for us in the future. All we have done, however, is widen the cultural gaps that divide us. We have not just angered some prisoners; we have inflamed the world. Recovery will take a long time – or it may never come.
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copyright 2004
Marie B. Corso