"How about neither?"

In response to my recent observation about the false dilemmas that pile up when Christians try to do politics without sufficient benefit of the Good News, I received the following from one of my favorite former students:

 

Thanks for pointing out some of the false dilemmas regarding American politics in Mr. Weigel’s article.  As someone who served, and knows others who serve and are getting worn down by the non-stop deployments, this false dilemma struck me most:

“Do you want to live in an America that is respected throughout the world for being just as well as strong, an America that supports others’ quest for freedom? Or are you resigned to living in a world where jihadists murder American diplomats, tear down the U.S. flag, and raise the flag of radical Islam over U.S. embassies with impunity?”

 

How about neither?  As you suggested, the Gospel is instructive, particularly the Beatitude:

 

“Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.”

 

Or put another way in Chesterton’s critique of Kipling:

“He admires England, but he does not love her; for we admire things with reasons, but love them without reasons. He admires England because she is strong, not because she is English. . . In a very interesting poem, he says that—‘If England was what England seems’ --that is, weak and inefficient; if England were not what (as he believes) she is--that is, powerful and practical-- ‘How quick we'd chuck 'er! But she ain't!’”