Wickedness.

The other day a friend of mine shared a Bible verse on Facebook.  It was 2 Chronicles 7:14, where God says to King Solomon, "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."  The word that struck me was "wicked" because I suspect we think we know what it means, and it is possible that we don't. 

"Wickedness" is one of those words Empire will always try to coop and define for us.  It can distort our entire moral life if we go along with this.  For Empire will always define things in whatever way is best for it: that is, whatever increases, sustains, protects, and extends its power.  Then we unconsciously read these definitions back into the Bible, which makes the Bible appear to back up Empire's claims.

Empire tends to define wickedness in terms of deviance, nonconformity, or dissent.  It always attaches wickedness to the "other" of whom we're supposed to be afraid and whom we're supposed to hate.  The "others" for whom Empire is gunning right now include Gays, trans people, Muslims, immigrants, socialists, "woke" people, and anyone else who questions Empire's hegemony in our lives.

The Bible, of course, defines wickedness in terms of idolatry and injustice.  Empire tries to distract us from this because idolatry and injustice are two things Empire depends on to keep its position of dominance over us.  Indeed, Empire itself is the central idol of civilization and injustice is its expression.  All idols are about injustice, which is why the whole Bible identifies idolatry as the core problem of human life.  It's also why Empire wants us to believe idolatry is just some religious practice, having no connection to daily life.

If we got our understanding of something like wickedness from the Word of God, Jesus Christ himself, rather than from what the Empire has been drilling into our heads since infancy, it would transform our whole way of life.  Instead of vilifying the nefarious "others," we would see that the very idea of labelling some as "others" to be feared and hated is itself an expression of idolatry.   

Jesus Christ comes into the world to reveal our oneness with each other, and even with God.  We express this oneness in humility and prayer, and it leads to forgiveness and healing of the land, the very land Empire oppresses, pollutes, divides with imaginary borders, and degrades.

Let me repeat: wickedness is not something attributed to "others;" it is precisely the treating of some people as "others" which constitutes real wickedness.

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