In going through the Methodist blogroll, I was struck by how very few Methodist bloggers have anything to say about the conflict in Lebanon — not even offers of prayers. It occurs to me that the matter of human suffering alone should elicit some posts, regardless of the specific policy positions. It is almost as if John Wesley’s message would have been the same even if he hadn’t addressed the slave trade issue.
We can discuss whether the office of Bishop is effective, who is to blame for the decline of the church, our latest innovations in youth programs or worship, but there is mostly silence in the midst of a conflict that could turn regional and inflict massive casualties beyond anything we are seeing at the moment. Why aren’t Methodist bloggers, on the whole, writing about theories of pacifism, just war and their applications to the current situation?
Differing viewpoints on the conflict aside, there has been virtually no humanitarian aid forthcoming from the United Methodist Church. Why not? Because church members aren’t donating.
I suppose Methodist bloggers are waiting for a really important issue to arise.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Paul 08.09.06 at 11:23 pm
I pray for Lebanon. But I don’t put it on the blog. Either people will see what I write and agree, in which case it doesn’t need saying, or they will disagree, and following discussions are usually unhelpful. I know what the Gospel means to me.
I’m also not that creative with prayers for this sort of thing. I pray that Israel will stop bombing and that the negotiators can bring both sides together for rational talks. If I were a poet I might come up with something, but I’m not (often).
Aid is a point. Should we chivvy the MRDF or has it got enough on its plate?
Bene D 08.10.06 at 1:28 am
Interesting that the same observation was made about US Baptist blogs recently at Ethics Daily.
I’m curious.
Joel, why do you think so many faith blogs are reluctant to post?
Richard 08.10.06 at 7:56 am
It is strange, as if there is a ‘collective mood’ about whether to post or not. It does kind of suggest that bloggers are not as independent as we like to think we are.
CH 08.10.06 at 3:53 pm
There is a kind of indifference and a reluctance to write about the conflict in Lebanon. This war is controversial to them. From one side there’s Israel and from the other side people are seeing that Israel is very strong and it is crushing Lebanon and responding very disproportionately. And yet there are others who think that it should not be their concern.
As if Christian bloggers have taken up the “didn’t see, didn’t hear” stand. Better to be lukewarm and indifferent, and not to take a stand, rather than criticize Israel (they’ll be accused of anti-semitism) or Lebanon (they’ll be accused of letting their brothers/sisters in faith down). Very few called for peace and prayer for the people on both sides.
However, not mentioning the conflict is seen as taking a stand. Not asking for peace and an immediate cease fire is seen as a “yes” to more war and death of innocent civilians.
John 08.10.06 at 8:31 pm
I pray about it. But I don’t blog about it. Too many fights.
Joel 08.10.06 at 9:05 pm
Too many fights? I suppose. But the same was true of the slavery issue.
I don’t have easy answers, but if we are possibly on the verge of a world war, it would seem that the pain of fights pales compared to the agony experienced afar.
I’m not always careful enough about what or how I write, but I guess the current issue just seems monumental comapared to the matters the UMC is facing internally.
It isn’t comfortable when people sneer at my support of Ned Lamont over Joe Lieberman. Or maybe it is me sneering at them. Still, I find more discomfort by backing away.
BruceA 08.11.06 at 5:40 am
I haven’t blogged about it because I don’t feel that I am informed enough to offer any insight. I suppose I could post a prayer to my blog; I’ve done that before for major events.
Olive Morgan 08.11.06 at 8:02 am
BruceA puts his finger on the main reason, I think. I almost blogged about it from the point of view of helping those who have relatives in the region because each day the bombing continues I am vividly reminded of the time, years ago, when my daughter was teaching in the American University in Beirut when war broke out. I am, however, hesitant to write about it at all because I would demonstrate my ignorance at worst or, at best, my very limited knowledge of the true facts on all sides. I have certainly not been indifferent because I have included this dreadful conflict in the Prayer Guidelines that I issue each month for the use of 300 local Methodists.
CH 08.13.06 at 3:17 pm
On Israel-Lebanon Conflict ChristianityToday says: “It can be easy for Western Christians to tune out violence in the Middle East. It can seem to be both intractable and unending, while the grievances on either side extend decades, even centuries, into the past. Yet, the dimensions of any conflict in the region can affect Christians differently. Lebanon has the largest percentage of Christians of any country in the Middle East, and fighting between Hezbollah and Israel in the country affect Christians differently than in Gaza, where Hamas and Israel are also fighting. To understand how locals view the current conflict, we’ve solicited and collected articles from several Christians in Lebanon, Israel, and elsewhere. We’ve also brought together other recent stories on Arab Christians from around the Middle East.”
John 08.13.06 at 7:21 pm
Yeah, I suppose Joel. But it’s a tough balancing act — standing up for what’s right but maintaing community with those who disagree.