Justice & The Long Arc of The Moral Universe

President Barack Obama has many times hit the refrain that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” (most recently with regard to the political protests in Iran). Obama has attributed the quote to Martin Luther King, who invoked the long arc of the moral universe in relationship to African-Americans’ struggles for equal rights.

Martin Luther King though did not coin this phrase about the moral universe. He was quoting from the passionate Unitarian Minister, and 19th century progressive Christian, Theodore Parker, who once said:

“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe, the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways. I can calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. But from what I see, I am sure it bends toward justice.”

Theodore Parker’s keen sense of the moral universe and its long arc toward justice extended not only to his views of life here on earth, but also to his progressive Christian perceptions of heaven and hell. In one of his most memorable sermons on Christian morality and immortality, Parker says:

“If it were true that one human soul was immortal and yet was to be eternally damned, getting only more clotted with crime and deeper bit by agony as the ages went slowly by, then Immortality were a curse, not to that man only, but to all Mankind” for no amount of happiness, merited or underserved, could ever atone or make up for the horrid wrong done to that one miserable man.

I say the thought of one such man would fill even Heaven with misery, and the best man of men would scorn the joys of everlasting bliss, would spurn all heaven and say, “Give me my brother’s place” for me there is no Heaven while he is there!

Now it has been popularly taught that not one man alone but the vast majority of all Mankind are thus to be condemned; immortal, only to be everlastingly wretched. This is the popular doctrine now in this land. It has been taught in the Christian churches these sixteen centuries and more, taught in the name of Christ!

Such an immortality would be a curse to man, to every man; as much so to the “saved” as to the “lost,” for who would willingly stay in Heaven, and on such terms? Surely not Jesus, He who wept with weeping men!

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Jesus’s Audacity of Acceptance (Not Hope)

The latest e-Bulletin from the Center for Progressive Christianity is titled “Why Do We Dare to Have Hope?“–a somewhat tepid title variation of Barack Obama’s well-known book The Audacity of Hope. In the newsletter we thus have articles dealing with the role of HOPE in the Progressive Christian path. We have President Fred Plumer talking about “hope” as an action of creative transformation, SBNR Pastor Ian Lawton arguing that being filled up with “hope” is a choice, and a book review about how “hope” brings beauty to the Christian journey.

But as is so often the case when it comes to “hope,” none of the writers seem compelled to seek out their answers in the Gospels and teachings of Christ. The reason so many Progressive Christian writers omit the Gospels when writing about “hope” is because the Books teach not hope but the trappings of hope misdirected. The disciples in their longing for Jesus to become an earthly messiah who rules over Rome become poster children for those who place misguided expectations on others.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus preaches not the audacity of hope, for hope is as common as a lack of hope: they are natural human reactions to the events around us. What he teaches (which truly is unusual) is the audacity of acceptance. To accept God’s Kingdom “at hand” even when the hand we are dealt is hard or painful. Jesus calls us not to pray for future wants but for simply “our daily bread,” because God already knows what we need before we ask him.¹

Some will say, “But won’t this steal the zest from living? Won’t this allow evil to thrive without opposition? Won’t this halt the progress we all so long to see?” The answer is No, No, and No. For the audacity of acceptance should not be confused with the lassitude of resignation. Acceptance means to accept the challenge of life today, without injecting the future with our personal desires: To work with love and diligence at whatever job is at hand, no matter how small or insignificant: To embrace the skills that God has blessed us with and put them to use for the joy and benefit of others: To speak the truth, regardless of the consequences: And to forgive abundantly.

When we do this successfully, the future will take care of itself, and his Kingdom will have indeed come–and that is the only hope that matters.

Let God Almighty rule eternity. My precincts are the minutes and hours of every day. And as long as people have hopes and dreams, well then, I will have work to do. – The Devil in The Book of Life by Hal Hartley.

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1. God, your Father, knows what you need before you ask him – Matthew 6:8 [↩]

Obama & The Arc of Change

Last week we talked about how President Obama has embraced the old Progressive Christian belief that the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. Although Obama talked of the long arc in reference to Iran, the growing impression is that he also feels this way with regards to “change” in the United States–which places him at odds with many of the more liberal and progressive members of the Democratic party.

If President Obama is taking a farsighted and measured approach to change, he should be applauded, not derided. For there often is a strong desire among activists and progressives to radically “change the system” overnight. Then, when that change doesn’t occur, disillusionment follows, and eventually their hearts become hardened. Thus we had the generation of Woodstock, and peace and love, morphing into the generation of Gordon Gekko and greed is good, leaving in its wake a jaded X generation whose favorite refuge remains satire and irony.

So our advice to the new generation of 20-something liberals and progressives is to recall the serenity prayer of Reinhold Niebuhr (a favorite theologian of Barack Obama’s):

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

And never to lose faith that while the arc of change in America is long, and we can only see ahead a little ways, it does indeed bend towards progress.

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The Living Hour’s SBNR motivational series combines history, literature, philosophy, psychology, and religion to help bring about new perspectives on Progressive Christianity and spirituality. Sign up by entering your email address into the “Opening the Small Gate” box in the right corner of this web page.