Egypt: covenant, people power and peace

Quote
“Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.” Martin Luther King

News
The world is watching the unfolding events in Egypt with bated breath, as so much hinges on how the popular uprising against President Mubarak’s rule will come to an end. The BBC reports that Mubarak has three constituencies to deal with: the US-led international community, the armed forces and the Egyptian people, and that he has sought to appease them in that order.

As demonstrations emerge in several Middle-Eastern cities, a central question is what authority do the people have to change their government in countries without a mature democracy that includes regular elections, viable alternative leadership, and a tradition of peaceful transfer of power?

From a relational perspective, a nation is governed on the basis of covenant, whether that is stated explicitly or not. The legitimacy of government depends in part on the provision of justice, and maintenance of law and order. So when the security forces withdrew entirely from Egyptian cities last week, releasing violent prisoners and abandoning the streets to looters, they turned on its head the covenant to provide security and safety to the people.

Similarly, whenever protesters resort to violence, they violate the covenant to abide by the law and respect their fellow citizens’ lives and property.

The trust which holds any society together is rapidly ebbing away in Egypt. The challenge facing both demonstrators and government is to negotiate change without further violating the fundamental nature of the implicit covenant that binds them together. The extent to which this happens will determine how peaceful and just the transition will be.

Read on...
A study on the politics of ancient Israel by Nick Spencer summarises the multi-polar framework for authority (that includes the individual, the family, local communities etc.) in contrast to the bi-polar one of just the state and individuals; it forms chapter 3 of the Jubilee Centre booklet "Apolitical Animal", which you can download here.

Walk the talk
Consider the covenants that you are party to, perhaps as a husband or wife, as a parent, or part of a congregation. Why not take a few moments to consider how faithfully you are fulfilling your part in that covenant, and if there is anything you need to attend to?

The last word
From the Bible, Mark 10, verses 42-43: “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant”