Resurrecting Old Ties in New Ways

Networking courtesy neilpeterson.com

Identity Crisis

    In an era of Internet searches, digital genealogies, on-line networks, Facebook and other social media, inter-personal networks and constructed identities are the name of the day. 

    For some reason, we do not seem to like to name this process or reality as such.  Despite not wanting to admit that we still label,  we make constant grouping and identity decisions ranging from who is friend, acquaintance or family, to who has immediate access to one’s daily experiences and thoughts, to who might interact with us at work, who is church and who is blocked.

    Amongst Anabaptists, one of the more compelling problems is that of definitions and groupings.  The two sides in the former Evangelical versus non-Evangelical divide have diverged greatly since the 1950s and even more so since the 1980s, but technology is bringing us together once more

    Oddly, a certain cultural affinity, and thankfully, toleration, continue to exist between the various identities within the greater Mennonite diaspora.  “Der Unza” remains a principle of assistance, mutual affection and inter-personal kindness.  Not insignificantly, those who still abide by “der Unza” seemingly tend to apply the same principles of kindness and care to most persons, regardless of ethnic status or church affiliation.  This is a strong commendation for this traditional Mennonite principle of networking.

Wer War Menno Simons?

Wer War Menno Simons?

 

Who was Menno Simons? by Isaac Peters (1911)

    He was one of the great reformers of the Christian church in the 16^th century at the time of the great Reformation, the time of Luther, Calvin and Zwingli in Holland.  From the pulpit, all three attacked the secular authorities, and the secular church of Rome while taking shelter in their own state churches to avoid severe persecution.  Menno Simons and his associates made a decisive break with these Reformers.  They determined to base their faith on the rock or foundation of Jesus Christ, testifying as their motto, “No other Foundation can any man lay than that which is laid, that is Jesus Christ.”  I Cor. 3: 11.  For this, Simons was willing to risk everything – loss of property, life and exile.  For this risk, he found plenty of opportunity, facing persecution not only from Rome but also from the other more newly-established state churches who were just as quick to stain their hands in martyrs’ blood. 

    Luther, the main Reformer, called these simple, quiet followers of Christ swarms (Schwärmer), of which he wrote to Duke Albrecht of Prussia:  “Wherefore do I have to ask why it pleases your highness to suffer such people in your country.  Why would you allow such factious spirits and suffering?  Prussia’s conscience should complain against this credible threat against Her soul, lest this swarm seduces the Holy Church (of Luther), against which their leader preaches.  It is not just I who fear this swarm, but all emperors and princes fear them.  Suffer just a little of this heresy and you will see what comes of it.”  Luther further advised Albrecht to overcome this monstrous threat with fire and sword.  All this was in pursuit of Menno and his companions in their following of the Lord’s leading.  But Luther wanted to please man, not God, to re-establish Rome, not God’s Truth.

More Work on Definitions

Defining Oneself

    This past weekend, I have spent considerable time attempting to develop stronger, more universal definitions for many of the terms that I use in my essays and which I tend to encounter in my reading.  I also spent a fair amount of time writing an essaic criticism of the rhetorical argumentation in a recent series published in Fellowship Focus on the emergent churches.  The emergent church movement is a new concept to me, so I was able to approach the articles with an open mind.  However, the quality or organization of their particular line of argument was often inconsistent, non-linear, even self-contradictory, leaving me, the reader, confused and uncertain.  Note that one finds it much easier to criticize the work of another than to recognize the same deficiencies within oneself, which is why there is a certain intellectual strength to be found in the Scholastic or even consensus-building process -- and why most books and literary efforts shower such profuse praise on those who assisted in the editorial process.

What’s in a Name?

    The former Nebraska Conference or Bruderthaler Mennonites suffer from a variety of cultural handicaps.  Our historic language is unwritten, we have no universities of our own to preserve and develop our culture, and our common “homeland” no longer exists.  Perhaps critics such as Epp and Redekopp are a bit too quick to judge us for failing to maintain such an oppressed identity.  Through our own fault, we have also managed to alienate ourselves from many of our co-religionists and fellow Anabaptists.  Social and economic competition between our congregations and those of the Mennonite Brethren (MB) and General Conference were historically exacerbated to the point that while fellowship was able to continue, in many instances, a unity of communion was out of the question.  For many of us, the decision to remove the Mennonite affiliation from our conference was painful but not nearly as destructive to our cultural self-understanding as our withdrawal from the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). 

    In my case, I have continued my grandfather’s close cultural affiliation with the Canadian Mennonite culture (a constant source of amusement to my non-Mennonite Canadian friends given my US citizenship).  While this includes a common cause relationship to Anabaptist institutions in the United States, my lack of membership in a traditional Mennonite Church, and failure to attend a traditional Mennonite College have led me more and more into a cultural understanding of who I am rather than a religious conviction.  This is coupled with a need to explain my pacifist and communitarian principles philosophically and politically rather than as mandates of a church.