Bryce, thanks for the deep dive into the Maidan Revolution. It speaks to me of the need to pay attention to culture, not just political moves. Steve Bannon is the dark side of this phenomenon. His theory is that politics is downstream of culture. So he created alternatives to democratic culture and alternative media. Through fear mongering and lies and deception, he and Brietbart shifted millions of people into a culture of resentment and anger to be used for power. Our work must now be to create the culture of the values we believe in, that love, truth and beauty are the way forward for humanity. Yes, spirituality must guide us to create new public space.
Todd, thanks. "Alternatives to democratic culture," including social media, are so lifeless and damaging. Face to face is where real spirituality and politics can thrive, of course, and so many factors keep us apart, especially culture, as you mentioned. I was thinking last week about how dueling political signs on adjoining lawns in our neighborhood amount to the full expression of political life here. By contrast, I love how the Maidan revolution was triggered by a Facebook post that invited people to the Maidan. The post concluded with "Likes don't count." Indeed!
I thought this was fascinating. I didn’t know much at all about the Maidan Revolution, which was interesting in itself, but what I found really thought-provoking were the parallels you described between all of these peaceful mass gatherings, including Biblical ones. Maybe some of the Arab Spring manifestation had similar characteristics. I was reminded of the student protests against the war in Gaza here in Montreal at McGill and at other college campuses, where, without any prompting or official organizing, basic needs were met, and the atmosphere was peaceful and supportive of one another, until the authorities tried to clear the encampments. I don’t think it’s a stretch to call this collective, mutual caretaking, joined by a common cause, “spiritual”, as you have. Even more, the personal transformation that occurs when we join such a cause, not just with our minds but with our bodies, can't be called anything else.
Beth, thank you very much. I'm so glad you're open to such parallels. You may end up seeing more than I have. I think it's a stretch for many people to read Acts politically and to "read" the Maidan spiritually, but Marci Shore's book (with an assist from Willie James Jennings's commentary on Acts) has me looking at Acts in what seems like three dimensions for the first time. (And Shore doesn't mention Acts.) I should look into the Arab Spring movement to explore any parallels or new ways to look at this. So interesting to hear about the experiences on the Montreal campuses this past spring! I was so taken with the Gaza student protests that I went to George Washington University's encampment and interviewed a student representative there. So much of encampment life was moving towards what was going on in Kiev and (ironically, I suppose) in ancient Jerusalem. The GW encampment had the same kind of spontaneous organization, sharing of food, "revolutionary discipline" (a board set up to remind people of certain rules and suggestions), an "outbreak of morality" (e.g., prohibitions against sexual relations and use of substances), perimeters, marshals, and -- here's one I didn't cover in this post -- joy. The students seemed really fulfilled by what they were doing, almost as if they were made for public life. Parallels: of course, joy is mentioned in Acts. And Shore interviewed Maidan people who said that they actually identified infiltrators by how sad they invariably looked. When I think that joy might be as effective as today's scary facial recognition apparatuses, it gives me hope.
It brings me tears even today when I think about how that encampment was "swept" two days after my interview. I'm sad, concerned, and angry about statements by the incoming administration regarding the exercise of free speech and assembly. I know the encounters those students had changed their lives and made many of them hungry for more community life in public space.
The GW interview helped me understand that, as complicated as the Middle East is, the students at GW could be more in line with the oppressed in revolution (the Jews and eventually the other conquered peoples) in the book of Acts than is today's Israeli government.
"Social barriers fell, too. At the Maidan, 'the homeless were integrated into the larger community for the first time.'" My son talks about the experience of community at a student march in Montreal. It transformed him and is the subject of a writing project. I'm passing this along to him.
Bryce, thanks for the deep dive into the Maidan Revolution. It speaks to me of the need to pay attention to culture, not just political moves. Steve Bannon is the dark side of this phenomenon. His theory is that politics is downstream of culture. So he created alternatives to democratic culture and alternative media. Through fear mongering and lies and deception, he and Brietbart shifted millions of people into a culture of resentment and anger to be used for power. Our work must now be to create the culture of the values we believe in, that love, truth and beauty are the way forward for humanity. Yes, spirituality must guide us to create new public space.
Todd, thanks. "Alternatives to democratic culture," including social media, are so lifeless and damaging. Face to face is where real spirituality and politics can thrive, of course, and so many factors keep us apart, especially culture, as you mentioned. I was thinking last week about how dueling political signs on adjoining lawns in our neighborhood amount to the full expression of political life here. By contrast, I love how the Maidan revolution was triggered by a Facebook post that invited people to the Maidan. The post concluded with "Likes don't count." Indeed!
I thought this was fascinating. I didn’t know much at all about the Maidan Revolution, which was interesting in itself, but what I found really thought-provoking were the parallels you described between all of these peaceful mass gatherings, including Biblical ones. Maybe some of the Arab Spring manifestation had similar characteristics. I was reminded of the student protests against the war in Gaza here in Montreal at McGill and at other college campuses, where, without any prompting or official organizing, basic needs were met, and the atmosphere was peaceful and supportive of one another, until the authorities tried to clear the encampments. I don’t think it’s a stretch to call this collective, mutual caretaking, joined by a common cause, “spiritual”, as you have. Even more, the personal transformation that occurs when we join such a cause, not just with our minds but with our bodies, can't be called anything else.
Beth, thank you very much. I'm so glad you're open to such parallels. You may end up seeing more than I have. I think it's a stretch for many people to read Acts politically and to "read" the Maidan spiritually, but Marci Shore's book (with an assist from Willie James Jennings's commentary on Acts) has me looking at Acts in what seems like three dimensions for the first time. (And Shore doesn't mention Acts.) I should look into the Arab Spring movement to explore any parallels or new ways to look at this. So interesting to hear about the experiences on the Montreal campuses this past spring! I was so taken with the Gaza student protests that I went to George Washington University's encampment and interviewed a student representative there. So much of encampment life was moving towards what was going on in Kiev and (ironically, I suppose) in ancient Jerusalem. The GW encampment had the same kind of spontaneous organization, sharing of food, "revolutionary discipline" (a board set up to remind people of certain rules and suggestions), an "outbreak of morality" (e.g., prohibitions against sexual relations and use of substances), perimeters, marshals, and -- here's one I didn't cover in this post -- joy. The students seemed really fulfilled by what they were doing, almost as if they were made for public life. Parallels: of course, joy is mentioned in Acts. And Shore interviewed Maidan people who said that they actually identified infiltrators by how sad they invariably looked. When I think that joy might be as effective as today's scary facial recognition apparatuses, it gives me hope.
It brings me tears even today when I think about how that encampment was "swept" two days after my interview. I'm sad, concerned, and angry about statements by the incoming administration regarding the exercise of free speech and assembly. I know the encounters those students had changed their lives and made many of them hungry for more community life in public space.
The GW interview helped me understand that, as complicated as the Middle East is, the students at GW could be more in line with the oppressed in revolution (the Jews and eventually the other conquered peoples) in the book of Acts than is today's Israeli government.
I hesitate to share links and so punish a reader who has been kind enough to comment. No expectations at all! But here's a link to the podcast based on the GW encampment interview: https://www.polidevo.com/p/the-threat-of-tents . Here's a link to an article with more clips from the interview: https://www.polidevo.com/p/the-church-as-a-disruptive-public
"Social barriers fell, too. At the Maidan, 'the homeless were integrated into the larger community for the first time.'" My son talks about the experience of community at a student march in Montreal. It transformed him and is the subject of a writing project. I'm passing this along to him.
I'd love to read his paper.
It’s a book he’s writing. I’ll keep you posted. Compared to him, I am illiterate.
What?? Can I preorder?
A wonderful post describing that rare, practically indescribable thing--public happiness. (Arendt wrote about it, I believe.)
Thank you! And yes, indeed, in On Revolution.