THE CHURCH AND THE CHARIOTEER

Once again, I’d like to borrow, perhaps misappropriate an allegory from Plato (this time from Phaedrus, sections 246a–254e). My readings many years ago of the early church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Eusebius, Augustine and others convinced me that there was a certain admiration for Plato back then and a usefulness in his writings when contrasted–or even compared–with the Gospel.

In this post, I’d like to borrow Plato’s charioteer illustration. In so many words, Plato speaks of a charioteer driving down a road, his chariot pulled by two horses, one horse representing reason and the other representing passion. Each horse tries to pull the chariot to it’s side of the road, one to the left side and the other to the right, threatening to overturn the chariot in the process and tossing the charioteer into the ditch. So, the poor miserable driver has to fight constantly to steer a straight course, tiring himself out in the process.

To me, the driver represents the Christian today seeking the will of God for their life, or perhaps some vision of the future of the Church (not to mention our country) in these last days. In this illustration, the path or roadway leads to heaven.¹ One horse represents the forces of radical liberalism and the other horse the forces of ultra conservativism. Instead of pulling like a team for the good of the driver and chariot, each horse tries to stubbornly separate itself from the other with no regard to the safety of the passenger or the final outcome. One horse is as bad as the other (though Plato describes the horses and what they symbolize differently.)

Christians in the United States of America are citizens of this great country, but more importantly, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. We enjoy the benefits of citizenship within the bounds of our conscience, recalling the words of St. Paul in I Corinthians, 10:23 “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up.” We must never place our partisan loyalties above our loyalty to our Creator, even and especially when people claim that they are the “chosen one.”

In his famous book “The Screwtape Letters” written during the Second World War, C.S. Lewis references the two extremes found in England during the War. In this ficticious book, tongue-in-cheek account, a senior devil named Screwtape writes to his demonic nephew Wormwood about how to be a “good” demon by leading people of the Christian faith astray.

“All extremes, except extreme devotion to [God], are to be encouraged.”
C.S. Lewis, “The Screwtape Letters”

Lewis takes the same two political extremes we have in this country today (expressed in that era in terms of pacifism and patriotism). One extreme is the political left (No war is worth fighting) and the other the political right (God and Country.) In his letter to Wormwood, Screwtape writes:

“I had not forgotten my promise to consider whether we should make the patient an extreme patriot or an extreme pacifist. All extremes, except extreme devotion to the Enemy, are to be encouraged. Not always, of course, but at this period. Some ages are lukewarm and complacent, and then it is our business to soothe them yet faster asleep. Other ages, of which the present is one, are unbalanced and prone to faction, and it is our business to inflame them.”

In this passage he tells his “nephew” if he comes across people looking for a “cause,” then make them committed to some other cause than God. Let them hear incendiary messages and urge them to angrily and violently storm the Capitol in Washington, rather than show up by the thousands to peacefully occupy the National Cathedral praying for revival and hearing the Gospel of peace, instead.

The “enemy” Screwtape refers to in the passage above is God, because God is the enemy of the Devil and his minions. Notice that Screwtape’s precise strategy varies, and depends on the particular era or age, what scholars would call the zeitgeist or, as Oxford defines the term, “the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.” Screwtape says that in times when people are complacent, then feed on that and make them even more complacent. And, when as today, there are divisive factions such as Madison warned us about in “Federalist X,” then make these factions even more divisive. Keep God fearing elected men and women of goodwill of either political party from putting the general welfare before their own petty careers as they try to work together. To the devil, selfish careers come before truth and justice.

Lie, cheat and steal and if you are caught or lose, then turn the masses loose to destroy and devestate. Unleash mobs in the street, tell them to “fight like hell,” whether in Portland or Washington! That’s what Screwtape wants! That’s what Satan wants! Screwtape urges his “nephew” to pervert Christian teachings by raising up people or issues that compete with one’s loyalty and allegiance to God. And this is what we see today.

The political Left has caused the wreck of many chariots through the ages by pulling people away from Christianity in favor of other causes. The Jacobins in France, for example. No longer particularly pascifist today, the causes of the contemporary Left are in many instances and in truth worthy, noble causes such as saving the environment, working for peace, feeding the hungry and so on. But they should not replace or supplant our commitment to God. Putting food into the stomach of hungry people is important as Jesus affirmed in the Gospel. But putting the bread of life in the hearts of people is also important.

The political Right today has been hijacked by one man who, like other tyrants in the past, understands that hatred is a powerful motivator that “gets out the vote.” Christians today have been mesmerized by this man’s voice even as Oddyseus was entranced by the Sirens. False prophets have paved his way mixing their voices with conspiracy theorists, disgraced felons and others. Pay no heed my brethren.

Don’t pay any attention to what the “Squad” wants or what Donald J. Trump wants. I can assure you that your eternal salvation is not on the top of their list, if it’s on their list at all.