August 4, 2005
On
Meeting a Minuteman
by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
[The author, from
It was ninety minutes all together. Only one man -- a leader of the Minutemen
Civil Defense Corps. He agreed to meet with us despite his belief that we were
"an anarchist group committed to the destruction of
For each question, an answer—in time. (The intended impression: full
disclosure.) But between answers, something much more enlightening: an
unscripted (though quite charming) introduction to another way of
thinking. And with it a glimpse into a
soul.
"Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of my enemies," the Psalmist says. No table in our case, but face
to face nonetheless—and enemies enough. A man whom we’d called vigilante
(though not to his face).
And we, accused in person of anti-American subversive
activity.
Enemies, yes. But not only that. Like Mephibosheth at
King David’s table, the grandson of old King Saul from whom God’s Spirit had
departed. An enemy to David, no doubt. But also the son of his best friend,
Jonathan. I listened to the Minuteman
leader and was reminded of my older brother (no less conservative), after whose birth I was named
Jonathan so he might have a friend. Might this be a brothers’ quarrel? A table
prepared in the presence of an enemy/friend. Could it become a dialogue?
Always the possibility (a fragile hope, with feathers). explained his
concern for homeland security, strong borders, rule of law. Concerns not
unfamiliar to the majority of Americans who voted to re-elect George
Bush—and more than a handful who didn’t. But here, a man willing to devote his
life to his beliefs. To, in his own words, "hold himself to a higher
standard." Gandhi said there is some hope that a courageous soldier will
become nonviolent, while a coward never will.
Between us, a bridge perhaps.
But dialogue also means naming the distance between us. So I said it as clearly
as I could: The man we talked with is devoted to
in disregard of this nation’s laws. But when God’s law contradicts the law of
any land, we are willing to disobey earthly authority in obedience to our Lord.
Our challenges, questions had each been met with retort (defensive, yes—but he
was outnumbered sixteen to one.) But to this articulation of our divided loyalties,
the Minuteman leader gave a nod. He was not a Christian, had given up on the
Christian God while fighting in
I shook the man's hand and thanked him, looking into eyes that had soften over
the past hour and a half. "It’s a shame we’ll never be on the same side,"
he said. I smiled like men at funerals, feeling the grief but also knowing the
hope of a God who is infinitely patient, demanding no more human sacrifice.
"You never know," I said. "It’s a long story." If nonviolence is possible it is only because
God has given us all the time in the world to wait for the peace of Christ—a
peace which is indeed that table prepared
before us in the presence of our enemies. A table which belongs to a God who gave
himself for us, while we were yet enemies. An enemy who could become a brother—or
not. A Lord who loves him, either way.
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Claire Evans
Delegation Coordinator
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Tel: 773-277-0253; Fax: 773-277-0291