BREAK THE CHAINS OF OPPRESION AND THE YOKE OF ...

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dividuals who come into view: in each of us there nestle selfishness and greed,
idolisation of money, possession and property. Therefore no separation of spiritual
and political! Political action must be accompanied by spiritual introspection.
Thus by the question where I myself in my selfishness and greed fall captive to
the “lordless domination”. And everyone must pose himself or herself this question.
Doubtless there are those who are primarily “perpetrators” and others primarily
“victims”. The burden of guilt is also very unevenly distributed. But the
“lordless domination” unleashed by sin stops short of no-one. Not even short of
the “victims” – otherwise there would not ever and again be found such as let
themselves be corrupted by the forces of the Empire and are ready to become its
accomplices. The future will depend not least upon whether we succeed in seeing
both of these without playing the one off against the other.
Finally the general social, cultural and political “weather situation” is once more
looked at spiritually. Here the new definition of Empire unfolds its potential for
a religious critique. What appears as a concentration of power (cf. paragraph 1) is
at bottom a false religion: In this system consumption is proclaimed as a gospel,
which uses thought, values and visions for the logic of mercilessness and contempt
for life.
We have only then seen through the “lordless powers” when we have grasped
their character as religious power. They stage themselves among us like gods and
demand their tribute. Their very speech betrays them: war victims, economic
victims, victims of tirades of hate, traffic victims. The more we see through these
and take refuge in prayer to the living God, the more shall we be enabled to free
ourselves from the grasp of these powers. We shall learn no longer to use our understanding
and our science to optimise idolatry, but to seek ways out of slavery
and take steps into �freedom. � � � �
Balance: As the result of intensive further work on the Accra Declaration the
new definition of Empire offers helpful orientation on the further path of the Reformed
community. It remains to hope that those gathered in Grand Rapids will
adopt this definition.
Peter Bukowoski (1950) studied Theology and Music in Berlin, Bonn and
Cologne. He is the Director of the Reformed Seminary in Wuppertal and teaches
homiletics and pastoral care. Since 1990 he is Moderator of the Reformed Alliance
Germany and currently Member of the Executive Committee of WARC.
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– The Joint Globalisation – Dialog on Basic Issues –