Christians & Commies

Way back in grade nine, we played this game once in youth group. Christians and Commies. The idea was to broaden our knowledge of the persecution that happens around the world for people who proclaim the name of Jesus. It also, though perhaps not intentionally, gave us a pretty bad view of Communism... you know, the whole they're evil and we're good thing. In the game, the youth leaders were the Commies and the youth were the Christians. The leaders would chase the youth all over the church, and if the youth got caught, they'd be taken to a secret place for detainment. If a youth was in detainment long enough, they "died." They could also escape, but it was really hard to get away. I specifically remember wearing a Winnipeg Jets shirt that night and that it got a hole ripped in it (stupid me!).

Recently, two friends of mine were discussing Communism and it got me thinking about my views on the subject. For quite a while, I've considered Communism to be a great theory that looks great on paper. Everyone works for the betterment of society, and everyone gets their needs met equally. There are no favourites, no classes, and no real need for a government. If one part of the country suffers a famine, the rest pitch in to help out, no questions asked. Everyone is truly equal, and everyone gets along fabulously. That's communism on paper. But then, people get involved.

You see, from what I've studied, communism works fine until someone disagrees. As soon as there is one person who is not fully committed to the system, the whole thing falls apart. Here's what I mean: Suppose one person refuses to share. This person gets a bumper crop one year while his neighbour's crop is damaged. In order to get this person in line, a higher authority must compel him to do so. If he resists, they must use force, because someone who disagrees with the system must somehow change his mind. Thus, a police force or military becomes necessary. In order to make sure everyone participates in the Communist system, this police/military would have to collect all produce and redistribute it, making sure everyone gets the same amount. This creates a group of people who are in charge of the system (aka the government).

This is still all fine and dandy, as long as the people in the government are completely dedicated to the system. However, if there is any corruption, greed, or fame-seeking in the government, the system further deteriorates. The closer these problems get to the top of the government, the more trouble this Communist state is in.

As long as there is a leader who is truly committed to Communism and takes no perks for himself, and has enough power to regulate the necessary sharing throughout the country, Communism will work. But that hasn't happened yet.The problem with Communism, as we have seen it (in my opinion) is that eventually, the leader of the Party succumbs to greed and takes advantage of the system. Those who are fully committed to the system end up giving their goods to the government and losing out on the return, never to see their hard-earned produce again.

Now, here's the thing that has struck me about Communism: Christianity is much the same.

As Christians, we're instructed to love one another, give to the poor and expect nothing in return, work for the good of God's kingdom, and use our gifts and talents to serve each other. In much the same way, there are people who take advantage of those who are completely committed to Christianity (the stereotypical tele-evangelist, for example). The difference, however, is at the top.

Whereas in Communism, its success depends on whether or not the leader of the Party is committed to it and has the power to compel others to be committed as well, Christianity depends on God, who is all-loving, and all-powerful... and fully committed to us.

We can be sure that the leader of Christianity is working for our good, and that He will provide whatever we need. We don't have to be worried about those who take advantage of the system, because the leader knows about it, and will take action when He deems it necessary, in the way that promotes His system of love the best.

So, while we probably would not feel completely comfortable committing ourselves to a Communist system that depends on the whims and feelings of a human being, we can trust God that the system of love called Christianity will provide and will prevail, no matter how much people try to take advantage of it.

On Motives

Got to thinking about why we do the things we do. I mean, in my head I usually have a pretty good idea of the things that drive my actions. But I also know that I'm not always perfectly honest when I convey those things to other people. Case in point:

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After Change-Over Day, a day in which all the people who were on the IVCF exec the previous year get together with all the people who will be on it the next year, it was suggested that a group of us should all go out for supper and watch a movie afterward. It was a movie I did want to see, and the people were all friends of mine. I really wanted to go. But there was a problem.

That evening, back in Altona, it was Prison Ministry Awareness Night. I'm on the Prison Ministries Worship Team, and we were playing in my church at the time I wanted to be eating supper and watching a movie. Therein lay my dilemma. To that point I had never, on the day I was to be doing something, changed my mind in a way that affected others. On that day, I did.

I phoned the church and left a message telling them that Change-Over Day had taken longer than expected (true) and that I was feeling really tired (true) and that I didn't really trust myself to be driving home under those conditions (true). But that wasn't really the reason I wasn't coming home. In fact, with nothing going on in the city, I probably would have risked it and tried to drive home (as stupid as that may have been).

I told the truth, and nothing but the truth, but certainly not the WHOLE truth...

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Sitting here and thinking about that made me realize something: I have no idea what the motive is behind what other people do. I might guess at it, I might even hear them articulate their motive to me, but I still don't know with certainty what that motive is. But, whatever they do, I can be sure they have a reasonably good explanation for doing it. Some people, however, have become extremely good at hiding their motives from others because they feel that if their motives got out, they would have a much more difficult time accomplishing what they want.

It's like when you're playing Settlers of Catan. If you need one brick to build a settlement on the space someone else is trying to get to, you don't say, "I'd like to trade for brick because with my road building card I'd be able to block you from playing there." No, you just put your offer on the table: "1 brick for 1 ore" and let the chips fall where they may.

The difference, is that as Christians in the "game" of life, we're all on the same team pushing toward a common goal. So why is it that we feel we have to hide our motives from others? Likely it's because we don't think our motives are entirely pure. Just remember (and I need to remember this too) that you can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never fool God. He looks through any facade we might set up and attacks a problem right at the root, and His motive is love.

So why don't we? It may be difficult, but I'm sure God makes it possible for our motive to be love as well, and then we wouldn't have to hide it from anyone. Life would be so much simpler if love was the only motive. I'd like to be able to trust that everyone else is acting in love, and I'd like everyone else to be able to trust that I am too.

Unless I'm playing Settlers...