Christianity, Justice and Hauerwas

Stanley Hauerwas writes:

But the justice that the church seeks cannot be derived from envy or fear. Rather, we seek a justice that comes from a people who know their possessions are a gift in the first place. Therefore, Christiasn cannot support "justice" coming from the barrel of a gun, and we must be suspicious of that "justice" that relies on manipulation of our less than worthy motives. For God does not rule creation through coercion, but through a cross. As Christians, therefore, we seek not so much to be effective as to be faithful. We cannot seek "results" that require us to employ unjust means. Chrisitans have rightly felt much in accord with those, such as Kant, who argue that there are some things we cannot do, no matter what good might accrue. [Hauerwas Reader, p. 380]

In line with Boyd's thinking, we have become content with a policy of spreading freedom/democracy/liberty to those we deem in need of it. Just recently a Christian organization listed some of their anticipated fears of what America would look like in 4 years if their candidate was not elected. And one of their concerns is that presidential candidate they oppose will be reluctant to send more troops abroad. And yet Hauerwas' words echo in the background: "God does not rule creation through coercion, but through a cross." "We seek not so much to be effective as to be faithful." It seems that in many cases, we Christians have become so consumed with trying to market our message, that we have forgotten to live as faithful Christians in the process. As Ben Rey summarized it, "According to Jesus the key to living our best life now is to give our
money away, seek peace and above all else put ourselves last."