Ukraine and Flies in The Ointment
Seven days of watching the people of Ukraine boldly resist Vladimir Putin’s military, I realize how my citizenship in the USA influences my awe of this modern-day story of David and Goliath. As much as those of us in an Abrahamic faith tradition may want to identify with David, our nation’s massive might and power show us to be Goliath. When we hear about the world’s only superpower, we know they are speaking of us. Our national narrative and defense budget celebrate our military power. That is not David. We are Goliath.
In spite of the cultural differences, the dignity and courage of the Ukrainian people bring to mind my African ancestors who surely fought to resist the powerful nations of western Europe who invaded the African continent to kidnap her people and colonize her lands. They denied the dignity of others as they lied to themselves, their people, and the world about their reasons and intentions, just as Vladimir Putin is lying to himself, his people, and the world.
The same dishonest practice was used also by the British, French, and Spanish who came to Turtle Island and invaded the ancestral lands of countless First Nations and slaughtered their people. Long before desiring to become an independent nation, the colonies on this land were built upon a series of lies. Unfortunately, too many of these lies have been enshrined so as to challenge the notion of becoming a more perfect union.
These lies are the flies in the ointment that facilitated the insurrection we witnessed 14 months ago and resulted in unimaginable and senseless deaths as public health became a partisan matter in a pandemic – a pandemic. Entering the third year of using the word, we may have become immune to its significance. That is even for those who understand the term. I am not speaking of an epidemic ravaging a community, a state, or a nation, but a pandemic -- an epidemic on steroids. It respects no boundary. It engulfs the world.
How do we respond to narratives based on lies? How do we salvage the ointment? What treatment is there to not only remove the flies, but also restore its healing properties? These are questions for which I do not have the answers. Evenso, I believe that the gifts of faith and reason can facilitate the creative and critical thinking required for effective answers to arise. May we begin by committing ourselves to truth and the discontinuance of celebrating flies to the ointment.