Faith leaders: The religion of America's empire forsakes the whole for the sake of the few

Chicago Tribune

26-01-2025

Last week was dominated by brutal cold. It is not only the chilling and dangerous temperatures in Chicago, but also the pervasive cold of fear and callousness that lead the call for mass deportations, for separating families, for making our beloved city 'ground zero' for the 47th president's strategy to deport more than 10 million human beings.
This cold is a symptom of a major shift in climate: Some call it the rise of the oligarchy, and others label it autocracy or tyranny. We witness the events of the week through different words — this is what happens when the empire strikes back.
No, we are not talking about Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine or the Sith. Instead, we speak of an important lesson taught by Wes Howard-Brook about society in general, and religious traditions in particular.
Wondering how we arrived at such a place where people feed the divisiveness of society based on race, class, religion and other factors, Howard-Brook admits that even in each of our vaunted faith traditions, there are in fact two religions, each pulling in the other direction. Demonstrating how this is as true of the Jewish Bible as it is of the Christian Testaments, he explains that we are torn between the 'religion of creation' and the 'religion of empire.'
The religion of creation is about all of creation. This approach to tradition, as defined in Howard-Brook's book 'Come Out My People!' is 'grounded in the experience of an ongoing relationship with the creator,' which leads people to covenantal commitment to all of creation, seeking the benefit and well-being of all people, of the entire earth.
The religion of empire, conversely, forsakes the whole for the sake of the few: It is a human invention used to justify and legitimatize attitudes and behaviors that provide blessing and abundance for some at the expense of others. Let us stress Howard-Brook's point about the religion of empire — it focuses on the abundance of some at the expense of others.
The expense of others, the separation of society, the punishment of the many for the aggrandizement of the few, is at the heart of the cold we have experienced in Chicago this past week. Whether you call it mass deportations or an immigration agenda, the results of a democratic election or a slide into autocracy, we see a slip into empire. Witness these attempts to advance the abundance of some at the expense of many others:
The new administration represents the thinking of empire religion. This is why we wonder how we should respond to Donald Trump's threats, whether they be against immigrants in our city, the reproductive choices of women, the civil rights of the trans community or any new segment of society that becomes the target of the day. The question of how we respond in the Age of Trump is: What should we Chicagoans do in the face of empire?
We say: We must respond through creation. We must respond with continuous commitment to living in covenant with all of creation, seeking the benefit of all Americans, of every human being.
How do we respond to this dawning age of empire through a commitment to creation? We can start in our innermost circle and radiate outward.
Our commitment to creation begins with kindness, demonstrating decency to every person who crosses our path. In an age of stoked fears and provoked hate, affirming the dignity of all people matters more than we might know.
Our commitment to creation can radiate outward toward our wider community. The divisive nature of empire seeks to isolate individuals; it creates and feeds on loneliness. Whether in your place of work, community center or house of worship, seeking out other people and building a community of people concerned about the well-being of all will be of primary importance. Those of us dedicated to religions of creation must create circles and cultures constantly in contact with this central core.
Lastly, our commitment to creation can expand — even amid the dangers and the justified fears of reprisals — into the world of civic action and politics. The power of organized communities speaking in unison for the rights of the many, for the protections of the few, matters in the face of empire.
Shutting our doors and our hearts paves the way for empire. Instead, as the empire strikes back, may we open our hearts and our doors, standing with the rights of the many against the advantage of the few, defending minorities against purported majorities, demonstrating our commitment to all of creation.
Last week, as we honored the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., we were reminded how he identified America as a 'sick nation.' And it still is. That is why we cannot afford the luxury of remaining silent, or remaining isolated from each other. Instead, standing together, we can counter that sickness, we can defeat the isolating cold and we can usher in a new era of embracing warmth.