I have been talking about the Anabaptists–or at least those descended from the English Separatists–and the early monastics. I have mentioned how the monastics were kept from falling into the same trap as the Anabaptists. But, let me put it another way that may help you to see it better, and it has to do with the cartoon above. I wonder how many of you remember Pogo and the tremendous impact that the cartoon above had within a short time of its publication? The cartoon was published on Earth Day 1971. But, the impact of what Pogo said quickly spread beyond Earth Day and went into the popular culture because the realization grew that Walt Kelly had captured something very profound in that short statement. “Yep, son, we have met the enemy and he is us.”
You see, the monastics realized that this thought was true, long before Walt Kelly captured it for us in his Pogo character. Both separatist fundamentalists and the early monastics to some extent started out with the same idea. You see, we are warring with the world, the flesh, and the devil. As I have pointed out in posts before, we quickly look at the devil first and can become all too easily caught up into exorcisms and seeing demons. Oddly enough, we tend to avoid that extreme nowadays because we are so secular that we have trouble believing in the demonic, in evil spirits, and in a Satan who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
So, next we focus on the world. And, like the English Separatists, the Anabaptists, and those who go to a monastery, we begin to fight against the world. Some fight against the world by leaving it. So, the European Anabaptists formed communities. When they emigrated to the United States, the Pennsylvania Dutch, the Amish, the Old Order Mennonites, the Hutterites, and the Old Order Brethren kept the tradition of forming separate communities within which they lived, insulated somewhat from the world. Inside those communities, the rules were indeed rules to keep the Christian within the path. But, those rules were and are applied with a strong serving of love. Rules that are explained and applied from childhood with a strong serving of love do not tend to deteriorate into legalism but instead come to form the skeleton on which the meat of the community is hung.
An example of this occurred on 2 October 2006 in the Old Order Amish community of Nickle Mines a village in Bart Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. There a gunman shot and killed 5 young Amish girls and wounded 5 others. But, it was the response of the Amish community that most floored the nation and taught us all what it means to be a Christian. Amish rules prohibit physical and verbal violence. Amish rules require forgiveness and love for one another. But, those rules have been taught to generations of Amish with a generous serving of love. And so, as the story came out some remarkable events happened. One, the remaining living victims testified that the two oldest girls asked to be shot first and for the gunman to spare the others. Two, Amish members actually went to the house of the murderer and his relatives, within hours, to comfort the extended family. Three, the Amish set up a charitable fund for the family of the murderer. Given what the Amish did I think that we can safely conclude that the world lost that round!
How different this is from the descendants of the English Separatists who did not form visible communities. Rather, their response quickly descended into a legalism of rules without the leavening touch of a great love that keeps those rules from becoming rock-hard laws. And, so, today’s separatist fundamentalists separate themselves from a world which they see as being irredeemably polluted. They teach the rules, but without the great leavening of love that places those rules within the heart. Let me note at this point that I do not agree with several of their rules. What I am saying was that even if I were to agree with their rules, they still would be applying them wrongly. And, it would have been very easy for the monastics to go the way of the separatist fundamentalists, descending into legalism rather than rising to great love. Sadly, some monastics have descended into legalism, but as individuals. An expression of this also came out after the Amish shootings. There were some who actually criticized the Amish for their swift forgiveness, arguing that forgiveness is inappropriate when no remorse has been expressed and that, somehow, when they did that they were denying the true existence of evil. Can you imagine that? They did not follow the right rules when they forgave! Therefore, it was not true and godly forgiveness. May those who say such things tie a millstone around their neck and . . .
===MORE TO COME===
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