Recently, I toured Alcatraz.

In case you don’t know, Alcatraz is an island in San Francisco Bay. It is a rocky island that is more than a mile from the breath-taking beauty of San Francisco and its Golden Gate Bridge.

Alcatraz is famous because it was a Federal prison from 1934-1964. It has inspired memorable movies including Escape from Alcatraz, starring Clint Eastwood, and The Birdman of Alcatraz, starring Burt Lancaster.

The island is now operated by the National Park Service. I reached it on a ferry that “vibrated” as it powered through choppy waves, despite it being a pleasant, sunny day.

I spent several hours on the island with my son and his girlfriend. We toured the aging, abandoned prison.

As we returned to the mainland on a triple-decker ferry, I couldn’t help thinking back to the movie Escape From Alcatraz that we had watched the previous evening to get us in the mood for our visit.

To help the prisoners escape, they thought carefully about where they wanted to swim. What was the best place to land?

They also thought carefully about how to swim more than a mile despite the cold, chaotic waters and the strong currents.

To help them, they jerry-rigged a “raft”. It was too small to climb onto and ride as if they were Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn rafting on the Mississippi. But they could cling to it for flotation.

It is unknown whether they actually reached shore. The three men were never found. But we don’t know if they weren’t found because they reached shore and eluded capture. Or because they drowned in San Francisco Bay.

How can we ourselves and our civilization swim in cold, chaotic waters and strong currents to reach shore safely?

Keep in mind that all we like sheep have gone astray. (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-18).

So how do we keep from going astray on the way toward shore?

The first step is to discern the best place to land—a Promised Land where all people will be blessed by the fruit of the Spirit of the LORD: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

My prior blog in this “Alcatraz” series (titled “Alcatraz: Escaping to the Right Shore”) explored how to discern this shore where all people will be blessed.

In this concluding blog of this “Alcatraz” series, I explore how to reach the right shore safely by using “countervailing powers” wisely.

I first remember encountering the concept of “countervailing powers” as a teenager when I read a book by John Kenneth Galbraith titled American Capitalism: The Concept of Countervailing Power (1952).

The basic idea was that the economic power of gigantic businesses could be countered by using powerful, opposing economic arrangements such as labor unions and cooperatives.

Naturally, I’m sympathetic to this concept of countervailing power. I spent more than thirty years as General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer of a dairy cooperative that was owned by dairy farm families who joined together voluntarily to promote their economic well-being.

In this blog, I am talking about using “countervailing powers” wisely within a civilization to offset the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms.

At the risk of overgeneralizing, think of Republicans as wielding the Power of Money through the private sector; Democrats as wielding the Power of Kingdoms through the government sector, and Communities of Wisdom (such as faith communities, the press, and educational institutions) as wielding their Power through wisdom.

The ideal solution would be if we ourselves and all these groups followed the Way of Jesus, embodying the ideals of the Law of Moses and the ideals of the Prophets and the ideals of the Psalms (Matthew 5:17).

Jesus defeated the temptations to wield the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of Kingdoms. (See Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; and my blogs “Jesus Climbs the Temple Mount”; “Do Not Live on ‘Bread’ Alone”; Do Not Jump Off the Temple”; “Do Not Seek the Kingdoms of the World and Their Authority”; “Beware the Power of Money”; “Beware the Power of Religion” and “Beware the Power of the Kingdoms of the World”.)

Unfortunately, this is unrealistic for ourselves and for our civilizations. Why? Because ALL people and ALL civilizations have gone astray. (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-18).

This leaves open the possibility, however, of wisely using separate countervailing powers taken from the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms to offset the other Powers.

To return to the illustration of how to steer towards the right shore, there are times when the currents from the Power of Money (private businesses) will carry us in the correct direction. At other times, the currents from the Power of Kingdoms (the government) will be needed to get us back on course when the currents from the Power of Money (private businesses) are pushing us astray.

Other times, the Power of Kingdoms (government intrusions in our businesses and on our freedoms) will push us astray. At such times, the countervailing powers of the private sector in our businesses and in our lives will be needed to push us back on course.

How do we gain the wisdom to know the times and seasons when the Power of Money or the Power of Kingdoms is most useful in pushing individuals and civilizations back on course towards the Promised Land?

It’s essential to insulate the Power of Religion (which I sometimes state more broadly as the Power of Wisdom) as much as possible from the Power of Money and from the Power of Kingdoms. For example, it’s essential to insulate wisdom from the unrestrained greed of materialists and capitalists, and to insulate wisdom from the unrestrained tyranny of communists and fascists.

How?

By keeping the military under civilian control.

By having the military swear an oath of allegiance to a constitution that secures the unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, with Liberty and Justice for all.

By never having the military swear allegiance to a specific person.

By never having the military take sides in political campaigns.

By never having the military appear in any campaign materials.

By never having the military or law enforcement personnel or anyone else intimidate voters.

By never having the military or law enforcement personnel or anyone else interfere with counting votes and certifying election results.

By supporting an independent judiciary that protects First Amendment rights to Freedom of Religion and Freedom of the Press—hallmarks of a government that secures our unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, with Liberty and Justice for all.

By forbidding bribery and corruption of judges and other government officials.

By limiting the consecutive terms of elected officials.

By using antitrust laws to keep markets functioning in ways that promote fair competition and efficient economic outcomes, restraining both the Power of Money and the Power of Kingdoms.

By using laws and regulations to make sure that all nonviolent views have ways to spread their ideas, including through cable networks and social media.

By promoting free speech in schools, especially in colleges and universities.

By supporting tenure for teachers and professors to insulate them from the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of Kingdoms.

Why are these protections for Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech essential?

Because, as Thomas Jefferson said in 1801 in his First Inaugural Address: “Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.”

Why is wisdom necessary?

Why is it so essential to insulate wisdom from the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms?

Because it takes wisdom to know when and how to time the actions of individuals, governments and civilizations so that we are heading towards the Promised Land—the ideal America first discovered by the hearts of Abraham, Moses and Jesus where:

—ALL people are blessed;

—ALL pharaohs are challenged to set ALL people free; and

—ALL hurting people are healed.

For example, Ecclesiastes tells us:

There is a time for everything,

   and a season for every activity under the heavens.

     (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

There are times for war and times for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:8).

Times to hug and times to refrain from hugging. (Ecclesiastes 3:5).

Times to tear down. Times to build up. (Ecclesiastes 3:3).

Seasons to plant. Seasons to harvest. (Ecclesiastes 3:2).

Times to be silent. Times to speak. (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

The challenge is to have the wisdom to know which times and seasons an individual, a government, or a civilization is living through.

Should we be waging war? Or establishing peace?

Tearing down? Or building up?

Planting? Or harvesting?

Hugging? Or not hugging?

Speaking? Or staying silent?

To reach the right shore—the Promised Land—safely, we need to cling to the raft of wisdom to keep us afloat.

We want to be wise people who understand the times and know what should be done.  (1 Chronicles 12:32).

We want to be wise about what to do and when to do it.

This need for wisdom about the timing of our actions always reminds me of what one of our cooperative’s dairy farmers told me. I asked him how hard it is for someone to become a dairy farmer if they didn’t grown up on a dairy farm.

He answered: “You can learn everything you need to know about what to do by looking in a book. But the book can’t tell you when to do it. That comes from growing up on the farm.”

And so, it is essential that we keep wisdom free from the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms.

Governments and civilizations must be structured so that the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of Kingdoms are:

—restrained;

—kept separate from each other; and

—used as countervailing powers to oppose and offset each other.

In particular, Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms must never be allowed to unite with each other.

During Holy Week, Jesus himself showed us the dangers from the United Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms.

As I discuss in my blog “Jesus Climbs the Temple Mount”, Jesus challenged the United Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms during Holy Week, and these Powers united to torture and execute him.

Wisdom is the tiny “raft” that can give us enough buoyancy—can give an “extra lift” to ourselves, our governments, and our civilizations—so that our love stays warm despite the “cold waters” of the Twenty-First Century and so that we do not drown amidst the strong currents from the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms.

The fear of the LORD—the love for the LORD—is the beginning of this kind of wisdom. (Proverbs 1:7; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:34-40).

Why do we need this kind of wisdom?

Because only this kind of wisdom can keep hope alive.

Only this kind of wisdom can give us the strength and courage to swim in cold, chaotic waters and to overcome the strong currents that oppose us. (Joshua 1:6-9).

This kind of wisdom from the First Chapter of Genesis assures us that we are created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27).

Therefore, even though we go astray, we continue to share God’s yearning to establish lives and civilizations that are good—that are very good. (Genesis 1:1-32).

We continue to share God’s yearning to seek and to save all who have gone astray. (Genesis 3:8-9; Luke 15:1-32).

This kind of wisdom from the Fortieth Chapter of Isaiah reminds us that—no matter how long we’ve been in exile in “Babylon” (Revelation 18:4) or imprisoned on “Alcatraz”—“those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength”:

“They will soar on wings like eagles;

   they will run and not grow weary,

   they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).

 

They will swim in cold, chaotic waters,

   yet their love will remain warm.

 

They will swim against the strong currents

   of the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms.

Yet they will not grow weary or faint.

   

They shall overcome!

   They shall reach the shore of the Promised Land!

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

What Powers do you think are leading your life astray? The Power of Money? Religion? Kingdoms?

Can you overcome these Powers? How?

What Powers do you think are leading our civilization astray? The Power of Money? Religion? Kingdoms?

Can we overcome these Powers? How?

READ MORE

For more of my thoughts inspired by my visit to Alcatraz, please read my blogs “Alcatraz: Imprisoned in a Cell”, “Alcatraz: Imprisoned on an Island”, “Alcatraz: Imprisoned by the Powers of Kingdoms, Money and Religion”, and “Alcatraz: Escaping to the Right Shore”.

For related thoughts, please read my blogs “Faith That Wins A ‘Super Bowl Ring’”; “Individuals and Systems, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable”, “Spilling Coffee”,  “Building Houses on Rock: Mercy and Forgiveness”, “Building Houses on Rock: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”; “Building Houses on Rock: Mission Impossible?” and “Building Houses on Sand: Specks and Planks”.

For more of my thoughts about why free speech is essential in the church, please read the relevant passages in Lighting the World, at pages 73-90; Visions of America, at page 52; and Visions of the Church, at pages 163-170 and 187-199. For example:

Paul and James must have had many spirited discussions—perhaps even arguments—over the role of faith in making disciples of Jesus Christ. Yet, despite such discussions and arguments, they still shared “the right hand of fellowship” (Galatians 2:9).

Furthermore, there was actually a benefit to both men from debating their differences. They learned from each other how to express themselves in ways that did not actually contradict each other. They merely emphasized different sides of the same coin. They merely read from different pages of the same book. (Lighting the World (published 2004), at page 75).

For more of my thoughts about why free speech is essential in America, please read the relevant passages in Visions of America, at pages 35-37,49-52. For example:

“[W]e, as a nation, are like a spaceship bound for Mars. If we drift too far off course, our doom is certain. Therefore, “we, the people” must constantly check to see whether our spaceship, America, is drifting off course. When this is discovered to be the case, “We, the people, must get our spaceship, America, back on course quickly; otherwise, it’s drift will cause us to miss the target destination entirely.

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights provide the framework for realizing when America is drifting from her foundational values and for getting us back on course. To keep a community on course, we must utilize the insight of every person in that community. Two heads are generally better than one, and “We, the people” are wiser than “I the narrow-minded”. . . . .

Freedom of the press is, therefore, essential to keeping America vibrant and free because, in any community, including America, it’s easy to see only the picture that you want to see. . . . .

By protecting freedom of the press, we are protecting the ability of the community to share differing viewpoints so that we, the people can come to a better understanding of such truths [that we do not want to confess]. By having periodic elections, we enable ourselves to get America back on course towards its noble goals: justice and liberty? (Visions of America (published 2004), at page 50-52).