AGAPE' MAKES STRANGE BEDFELLOWS


It’s Still Easter
Told to pack his belongings, Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng left the hospital and driven to Beijing airport, being hustled out of China to the United States, says TWP, enroute to classes at NYU. Didn’t say who of his family are coming along.* For all the political fist-shaking, a healthy mutual cooperation, not to say admiration, society between US and China, where more Buick cars are manufactured and sold than in the US, and where this MacBook was made. The most senior Chinese government officials who most vociferously spout the Communist party anti-capitalist line against America send their children and grandchildren to the most prestigious American universities, where they blend socially, seamlessly, including joining the Greek societies.


Goes both ways: the largest single holder of U.S. public debt is China, a foundation for our way of life and standard of living. At the U. S. Naval War College forty-five years ago we were taught that China was The Threat, our greatest foe and most likely war opponent, yet history proves there is no better deterrence to military hostilities than total economic interdependence. 
Could open up Cuba if politicians had the guts.
War broke out a decade ago between The Episcopal Church and departing church members disaffected by the New Hampshire election and consecration. Some hostilities were driven by certitude, ambition and greed; but where folks were motivated by Christian love, differences have been accommodated: the Diocese of Virginia has been a trailblazer in love trumping bitterness. Blessed are the peacemakers.
Easter officially concludes with Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit; but tomorrow, the Seventh Sunday of (not after) Easter, pretty well wraps it up. Besides a bit of seeing the Christian church struggling to get started in Acts, our Easter Season scripture has concentrated on First John and the Gospel according to John -- both of them about agape’ -- Love that is action not feeling. Nobody in their right mind would perceive China’s action toward Chen this morning as Love, but in gospel terms, that’s precisely what it is.

With agape' we can get along beautifully even while shaking our fists at each other.
TW+


* Latest NYT: wife and two children with Chen.