Tuwere, you are wrong!

And so, this round-up comes on the back of a report of a call by an ex-President of the Methodist Church to the Methodist Church to cancel its annual conference.
In the wake of the arrest of those who insist that the meeting will go ahead, Reverend Ilaitia Tuwere is reported on this site to have said that both the Methodist Church and the interim government are to “blame” for the stand-off. “Stand-off”? This kind of “moderate” sharing of the blame, is the perfect recipe to allow the military dictator to continue to do as he wills in over-riding any development that he fears might question his legitimacy.
Where does this ongoing compliance with evil rulers come from? Is it from a certain Christian view that says that politics is really the devil’s business? If so how are we to read the announcement of Jesus: “All authority in heaven and upon earth has been given to me”? Christians attentive to that word which defines their discipleship are hear confronted with a pack of hoodlums, hiding behind the last tattered vestiges of Fijian “honour”, who pretend to be Fiji’s rightful rulers, judges and administrators.
Of course, one always needs to find a just path on which to resist injustice and times an even-handed approach in making judgments is appropriate. But does this form of “even handedness” from Reverend Tuwere promote justice? I can’t see it. On what basis is this “even handed” judgment being put forward?
I would suggest that the esteemed Reverend Tuwere needs to ask himself whether he is simply saying that politics is dirty by definition. To counter that I wish to say that it is not politics which is dirty – politics is a God-given calling to do justice to the neighbour whom we are called to love. What is dirty is human sin, human rebellion and in this instance – that is with a pack of hoodlums violating the basic rules on which they have relied to attain the positions of power that they still cling onto – we cannot ignore these violations by trying to spread the blame in some even-handed way saying “both sides of to blame”.
I’m not calling for an armed uprising. But I am dismayed when I hear such “even-handed” appeals which sound like a retreat from a basic Christian resistance to blatant injustice.
I might be reading the comments in the wrong way, and I might also have failed to understand their context. But, those Christians who are tempted to take such an “even-handed” approach should reflect upon this:
If life in this world is so sinful that when it comes to injustice in “politics” we will say “Well we are all sinful aren’t we and that’s politics isn’t it?” So then if we say that for politics, why don’t we say the same thing about abusive parents who treat their children like animals. Or why do we not say he same thing about a sex-offender in the church who violates a trust by exploiting a young person? Or why do we condemn business fraud? Shouldn’t we therefore be saying, “Well we’re all sinners and what do you expect in this life. Sin happens. What can we do about it?” In other words why should sin be given special consideration in political life and not in our families, our churches, our businesses and buying and selling?
But Reverend Tuwere we don’t. We say, “No! These actions ought not to be.” And we find ways to back our statements with our actions.
There is a problem here and Reverend Tuwere seems to assume that the only uprising that the Methodists in Fiji are now called upon to resist is the one that might happen in the future. How does the good Reverend suggest that his people should dissent from and resist the uprising that is currently under way by the RFMF and its collaborators? What about the impositions of the previous uprisings – that is the military coup of December 5th 2006 plus that which occurred with Good Friday’s revocation?
May the Spirit Jesus grant us wisdom to know the path of love by which we can truly serve all our neighbours.