After one of my talks about anarkhia and noncooperation, I turned to my friend and bodyguard.
“This must make you a little uncomfortable, when I say we don’t need a state to live our lives well, given what your Nazarene said about ‘render unto Caesar,’” I said.
John Hemlock looked puzzled, and then he burst out laughing. I have to say that John’s laugh is one of the most delightful sounds in the universe; he is one joyful man.
“Oh my man, you’ve been fooled by one of the all-time great misdirection plays,” he said, in what I believe was a football reference (I really should learn that game to understand my friend better). “‘Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what is God’s – Is that the quote you mean?”
“Yes,” I said. “He said pay your taxes and acknowledge the state’s authority.”
Another full-throated, full-body roar of laughter.
“Jesus said that when some political types were trying to trap him,” John said once he caught his breath. “They wanted to get him to say something subversive, so they asked him if it’s right for his followers to pay taxes. He knew they wanted to trip him up and catch him telling people to revolt. So he had them show him a coin, and sure enough Caesar’s picture was on it. And then he said – listen up now – ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.’”
Then he spread his arms wide with a huge grin, as if the punch line was obvious.
“Don’t you get it? This is the guy who said sell all your belongings and follow me – follow God,” he laughed. “Give to God what is God’s – Everything is God’s! Caesar is just a pretty, shiny picture.
“You just keep talking about your anarkhia, Ray. My Nazarene is smiling and thinking, ‘Finally, someone gets what I was saying.’”
Entry 74
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