The Senior Times Online

Job and the bombers

Beneath the Surface

by Elizabeth Champion

One of the most profound expressions of human anguish and bewilderment is to be found in the ancient story of Job. As a metaphor for our contemporary dilemma, its impact is greater and more relevant than ever. The context is myth, but the philosophy is the reality of this moment.

As with Job, who was confronted with a "sea of troubles", planet earth roils with fear, death, pain and despair. Its inhabitants, like Job, are bewildered and confused, searching for answers and solutions.The victims, like Job, cry out: "Why me, Lord?"

Job was wealthy and possessed a fine family. He was a good man, at peace with himself, his neighbors and his God. Satan, before his expulsion from heaven but already making trouble, challenges God to test Job's fidelity to faith and virtue. Confident in "His servant Job", God permits the trials to proceed. Job's serene life is suddenly ended. He loses family and wealth but not his spiritual integrity, uttering sublime words that have echoed down through the ages and that are an affirmation of life: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord."

The drama continues with the wily Satan demanding further proof of Job's unshakable commitment to the divinity of the spirit. "Make him physically uncomfortable", says Satan, "and you will find that Job succumbs to bitterness." God permits Job to be tested once again and he is plagued with terrible boils. His friends insist that there must be a cause for his misery. "Surely you have sinned," they say. (A modern parallel would be "blaming the victim.")

At this point Job, convinced of his righteousness, is overcome by emotions of rebellion. He questions God's justice: "The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof; If it be not He, who then is it?"

In those words lies the mystery of the timelessly tragic human condition: "Who then is it?"

Could it be that as a species we have sinned? That we continuously break a primary commandment: "Thou shalt not kill?" That as long as we go on killing and exploiting, we can expect more of the same?

In times of severe crisis, humanity, and especially its political leaders, look for a scapegoat, someone to blame. Simplistic slogans hide unpleasant realities that people would prefer not to confront. In a world in which the majority suffers from hunger, disease and degrading poverty, its most prosperous and powerful nations budget for war:

"House members (US) by a vote of 409-14, gave their final approval to a $355.4 billion Pentagon bill, a $37.5 billion increase over last year and one that will pay for a variety of new weapons and research. They also adopted by a 419-0 vote a $10.5 billion measure that pays for military construction projects." New York Times: Oct.12, 2002.

The casus belli is Iraq's possession of biological and chemical weapons. The United States however has refused to approve or implement the 2001 UN protocol on developing, producing or stockpiling such weapons. It is not a party to the land-mines treaty; the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; or the nuclear test-ban treaty.

The Canadian aerospace industry is delighted to receive defense contracts from the Pentagon. The Canadian government will provide $150 million (US) to link up with the Pentagon's Multinational Joint Strike Fighter program to build 3000 planes. In the age of electronic technology, the "military-industrial complex", a term first used by General Eisenhower, has come into its own.

Meanwhile the International Monetary Fund's loan sharks are busy trying to salvage the international economy, i.e. "to overhaul the architecture of global finance."

"Finance leaders directed the IMF (Sept.28/02) to work on a dramatic new approach to resolving global debt crises that have engulfed countries from Asia to South America in recent years. The IMF's policy-setting committee of finance ministers ordered the global lending organization to develop a concrete proposal that would create essentially an international bankruptcy process where countries facing unsustainable debt could declare bankruptcy and force creditors to negotiate more lenient repayment terms. … The bankruptcy proposal faces stiff opposition from large banks that make loans to developing countries." Assoc. Press: Sept.02.

The architects of global finance have just propped up Brazil to the tune of $30.4 billion. The aim is to stabilize financial markets there. Catch 22 in the deal will very likely require a drastic reduction in government spending for social needs.

Economic breakdown. Terrorism. War. Human suffering. "If it be not He, who then is it?"

God does not give Job an answer. Instead He presents Job with a panorama of the earth's wonders and Job's rebellion withers in face of the scope and complexity of the world. As so often happens in life, Job's sufferings have opened his mind and heart to wisdom. He realizes that personal goodness is not good enough. More is demanded of him.

In this dangerous time, more is demanded of us.