VIOLENT METAPHORS

The radio talk shows and TV news channels have been filled with conversations about the Tuscon murders and attempted assassinations.  The two main sub-topics have been: (1)  [not surprisingly] the ease of availability of guns in the US and in Arizona in particular; and (2) [surprisingly] the prevalence of 'gun' and 'violent' imagery within political discourse.

I think it is a red herring in the discussion of the actual shooting to stretch a direct connection between Sarah Palin's website cross-hair images (oh wait, her handler tried to 'spin' that these were surveying symbols).  This murderer did not take aim because Sarah Palin used that metaphor in her campaign to 'target' certain democratic districts.  But that doesn't mean that this doesn't raise an important side issue.

It is very clear to me that Violent and War imagery and metaphors are used too freely in political and social discourse.

Talk with your friends about this.  Discover how easily and frequently people can use this imagery in everyday conversation, especially conversations that are adversarial or controversial in any way.

This is a conversation I remember having in 'the church' a decade and a half ago.  The United Church was publishing a new hymn book, Voices United (the first one in 25 years) and there was a minor uproar that Onward Christian Soldiers had not made the final edits.  It had been in the 1971 Hymn Book, but it was not to be marching on in the next one.

The conversation centred around concerns that many people had around the war imagery to describe a faith that in so many other ways is based on peace and compassion.  It was understood that for the generations with living memories of the first and second world wars, this imagery was a more natural fit in their lives, but for those (including me) who grew up during the relative calm of the cold war, the words seemed out of place. 

Yes, our Bibles are fill with war and violent imagery.  That makes perfect sense given the way the world operated in the Biblical times.  Governments rose and fell on the strength of their militaries and sometimes the brutality and strength of their leaders.

Fourteen years ago, I was already being mindful of how I use this kind of language and the place it has in the church.  It seems that current events have expanded the conversation beyond the church.  This is a good thing!