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"Subverting the
Salvo Empire"
by
Nathanael Homewood
They sat their attentive, engaged, and
intrigued. The teacher spent hours unwrapping themes and
nuances from a book only four chapters in length. Many
lingered close to the storyteller afterward, insatiable in
their appetite to digest the Word. The speaker – Brian Walsh –
skilfully painted a complete picture of the radical call from
Paul to the church at Colosse. This treasonous call to subvert
the Roman Empire and its marked implications for today
inspired, challenged and provoked. What is the empire, though?
The question hung in the air with a certain tension and
silence. Nobody wanted to immediately out themselves as an
imperial conspiracist. Then slowly and tepidly answers were
offered: the media, America, culture or Wall Street. Later a
young person, with all the sensitivity in the world, gently
asked “Is the Salvation Army an empire?”
According to Walsh’s characterization of empire a strong case
can be made to categorize the Salvation Army as such. He
simplifies empire into being defined by four characteristics;
systematic centralization of power, socioeconomic and military
control, powerful myths, and imperial images that capture the
people’s imaginations. With varying degrees of efficacy one
could ascribe each of these aspects to the Salvation Army.
This creates a space for a fascinating discourse on the Salvo
Empire.
The systematic centralization of power in the Salvation Army
is stark. It has been since its conception an organization
dominated by a distinct hierarchy. The position of General
carries with it enormous potential to dictate the agenda for
the denomination universal. The amount that this holds true of
course varies according to the respective managerial excess of
each General. Membership itself has always been hierarchical.
Centralization of power certainly exists in the Salvation
Army.
Walsh’s second characteristic is where the parallel falters.
Walsh claims an empire needs socioeconomic and military
control. One can attempt to draw out the abstract military
parallel by referring to the obvious affinity of all things
military in certain pronounced constituencies in the Salvation
Army. It might even be possible to discuss how economic
control – on both a local level (DHQs, THQs) and international
level (IHQ, donor territories vs. receiving territories) –
perpetuates the Salvation Army’s imperial structures.
Nonetheless, it would be an irresponsible representation to
indicate that the Salvation Army acts imperially through
intentional socioeconomic or military control.
Everyone loves a good story and stories perpetuate empire. In
an empire myths shape the rhythm of life. And Salvationist
history is filled with these tales. One need not read
Hattersly’s Blood and Fire to know that some of our favourite
stories contain in them some inspired stretching of reality.
But we find myths most poignantly in our self-understanding of
our organization, in the definitions we create of whom and
what we are. The “largest provider of non-governmental
services” line reverberates through our collective
consciousness. At its very best the claim lacks Christ’s
humility. At its worst it is a gargantuan myth that masks our
deficiencies and creates a false sense of accomplishment and
comfortability. And we sometimes take this line even further.
I will never forget the hyperbolic or arrogant (I pray it was
the former!) words of a territorial leader echoing in my young
head stating “We are the Salvation Army; we are the only
church that is doing something.” Yet, I looked to my heroes of
the faith – Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer
– and they weren’t Salvationists but were deeply engrossed in
the mission of the church universal. This “largest provider of
social services/only church doing something” myth shapes the
rhythm of life in the Salvation Army and perpetuates the
empire itself.
The final characteristic of empire is imperial images;
ubiquitous imagery of the empire permeating culture. These
images mask the reality of empire that lies behind the images
themself. In the Salvation Army we have undoubtedly
perpetuated the empire through imperial images. The obvious
imperial images include the shield, the flag, the uniform, the
crest, and William Booth. These images dominate and,
sometimes, consume the Salvation Army. Everyday I sport a red
imperial logo on the chest of a collared shirt – something
normally worn by UPS delivery persons and those pumping gas.
Pictures of the founder – and their have been more
aesthetically pleasing denominational founders! – are hung in
places of honour. We sing songs about the flag. We must be the
only denomination that heartily enjoys singing about itself in
the third person. All these images mask the reality behind
them, the reality of a looming and dangerous Salvo empire.
There is a great sermon illustration that can be used to
illuminate fears about the Salvation Army and empire. An
assembly of pastors are sitting around a table discussing
overall direction of their denomination. The leader of the
group interjects, “Why all this conversation about the
Kingdom? It sounds like you would be willing to sell out the
Salvation Army for the sake of the Kingdom.” Growing more
forceful he pounds the table and states, “That is disloyalty.”
“No sir,” this response contains no timidity, “what you are
describing is idolatry.”
For God’s sake sometimes we need to subvert the empire. We
need to run from the idolatry of empire. We need to reimagine
the radical call of Paul to the church at Colosse as a call
for the Salvation Army. A call that is not about abandoning
our prophetic place in the church universal, it is not about
encouraging disloyalty, and it is not about the pending doom
of a denomination. And for crying out loud it is not asking
for Revolution (can we add to the Soldier’s covenant that we
will cease using this word now rendered meaningless by mis-
and over-use?). What we need to do is to secede from our worst
imperial practices and vices. Where we have established empire
we need to put it to death. We need to remove all that has
been deformed by our empire with a call to the resurrection
life. If the story of empire no longer dominates us, then the
narrative of Jesus – crucified, buried, risen, ascended and
returning – will shape the character of our denominational
community. This will be the alternative to empire. The problem
with empire is idolatry. The alternative is renewal of the
image of God. The alternative is a community where Christ is
all and in all. And against most of the evidence the church is
the flesh and blood embodiment of Christ. So let us refuse
empire, secede from empire, and cease perpetuating and
building our own empire. Let us subvert the Salvo Empire
wherever necessary for the sake of the Kingdom. Then we will
be just a little closer to image of the invisible God. Fondly
do we hope, fervently do we pray.
For further reading on Empire and Colossians see: Colossians
Remixed: Subverting the Empire by Brian J. Walsh and Sylvia C.
Keesmaat.
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