The Way of Spartacus, the Way of bar Kokhba, or the Way of Jesus

100 years before Jesus, Spartacus (c. 103–71 BC) who was a slave and gladiator, led a slave revolt against the

Kirk Douglas in the 1960 movie, 'Spartacus'

Roman Republic. After several stunning military successes, Spartacus and his army were defeated. 6,000 of the defeated rebel slaves were crucified. Spartacus' body was never identified, so it is unclear if he was among those crucified (though he was in the classic Kirk Douglas movie). If only he had borne our sins on the cross taking up the cross might mean something different and walking in his footsteps would be the way of holiness.

100 years after Jesus, Simeon bar Kokhba (died, 135) led a Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire. He also won several battles against the Roman legions and won independence for his people – for a few years. He was identified by some as the Messiah. Like Spartacus, bar Kokhba was eventually defeated and died fighting the Romans. If only he had risen from the grave and breathed his spirit upon us so we could be sure that living by his spirit was the way into the heart of God.

If either Spartacus or Simon bar Kokhba had been "the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (see Matthew 16:13-20), we could embrace our every fantasy of "good" violence.

Instead we have Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the Slaughtered Lamb. "When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23), "leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

Over against human wisdom and the pattern of this world (see Romans 12), the pattern of the cross, which is the wisdom of God, will always seem foolish (1Corinthians 1:22-25). And even many Christians will prefer the way of Spartacus or bar Kokhba to the way of Jesus.

If Jesus is Lord, we who follow him will walk in his way will:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:14-21)

If Jesus is our Lord and Teacher, we will follow his example:

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-17)

Ethiopian Icon of Jesus Washing the Feet of the Disciples

See also:

Guns, Myths, Redemption & Conversion

Gun Violence. Again . . .

Gun Violence, Sin, and Regulation: A Teaching for the Church

Celebrating Our Mutual Dependence

One route I sometimes take on my morning walk takes me by the city water works. Another route takes me by the city sewage treatment plant. I do not know any of the people who work at either of these facilities. But I am immensely grateful for them. They are not generally celebrated but should be. There are no television dramas or movies about the exploits of people who work in such places as there are for police, fire fighters, and doctors,. They are not as celebrated as the military. But they are arguably every bit as essential to our well-being. Maybe more so. I remember hearing in a history class that no single technological development has done more for human flourishing and saved more lives than modern plumbing that assures that our drinking water is clean and our waste is managed. In this light, plumbers are heroes. Think of that the next time you turn on a water tap. Or flush a toilet. And give thanks for those involved in tending these most basic needs. Our wellbeing depends upon them. 

That got me thinking. My wellbeing and that of my neighbors is in the hands of people who work at the water works and the sewage treatment plant. People I do not know. Where else is that true? Once you start thinking about it, the answer is as clear as clean drinking water – everywhere. We are always and everywhere living at the hands of – mostly – unknown others. As suggested above, we do celebrate some, e.g., first responders and health professionals. And rightly so. But it is true of others less celebrated. Just about any civil servant/employees. It is true of utility workers. It is true of farmers and those who harvest, process, and deliver our food, along with those who work at grocery stores, and all involved in the agricultural and food delivery system. The clothes we wear depends others. We could add the merchants on Main Street and those who work in shops and restaurants. One graphic way to understand this is to imagine all the people involved in making sure the passenger of a commercial airplane makes it safely from one place to another. The same is true of trains and buses. Or when we “just” drive a motor vehicle anywhere. The list goes on and on. The fact that we pay some of these people for their service does not make us any less beholden to their labor.

If we were truly aware of how much our lives depend on all these others, we would move around the world in wonder. And we would be continuously moved to gratitude. Thank you. Thank you. And you and you and you . . .

We are, as Charles Williams would say, all knit to one another, ultimately, to every other, and to all creation in a great web of exchange. There is no autonomous individual. None of us is independent. We are all interdependent. I live in the hands of others. Others, God help me, live at my hands. Williams liked to use the classical theological term, coinherence, to name this reality. It is on the one hand inescapable. But we can live it it well or badly. When we embrace our coinherence with gratitude, harmony, and justice we experience our life and our life together as coherent, anticipating the New Jerusalem we read about at the end of the Revelation to John. When we try to reject our coinherence through selfishness and presumed independence, there is disharmony and injustice. Then our lives and our life together become incoherent and echo the desolation of Hell.

I am trying to live with the awareness of my interdependence. I am cultivating the practice of gratitude. I say thank you a lot to those I encounter. I especially make a point of saying thank you to public employees who make sure things keep working. If I ever see someone at the city water works or the sewage treatment plant, I intend to say, "Thank you for your service."