Posted on May 1, 2008 - by Frank

Ploughshares and the Waihopai Spy Base

They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation; and there shall be no more training for war. Isaiah 2:4

Yesterday I spent time considering whether or not it would be appropriate to write about the ANZAC Ploughshares activism at the Waihopai spy base in New Zealand, for The Humanitarian Chronicle. The focus of The Humanitarian Chronicle is humanitarian news and stories. So the question was, does such activism fit in the realm of humanitarian news? My answer, whether I agree with the actions of the three men or not, is yes, as it was ultimately a humanitarian act.

The New Zealand government is calling the actions of the three Ploughshares men who broke into the Waihopai spy base and used a sickle to deflate one of the inflatable coverings that was hiding one of the satellite dishes yesterday morning (April 30th), an act of senseless vandalism. In contrast, their spokesperson is calling it an action of three men committed to following Jesus Christ and the challenge of the Gospels.

The focus of Ploughshares is peace, the abolition of war and a focus towards finding peaceful resolutions to conflict. The core of such a pursuit, is humanitarian.

For those not familiar with Ploughshares, it is not an organized movement, it is simply a name used by groups (usually consisting of those who follow Jesus) who engage in direct non-violent action that most often symbolizes turning machines of war into forms that do not bring death.

With that in mind, the three men who entered the Waihopai spy base invoked the Ploughshares name as they engaged in non-violent, safe, open and accountable direct action against a machine they consider to be contributing to the information network that feeds the so called ‘War on Terror’. Their protest against the ‘War on Terror’ centers around it’s ambiguity and the countless lives lost in it’s pursuit.

As a Christian Minister this has raised many questions for me and much of me can’t help but applaud their actions, the actions of three Christian men rising to the challenge they believe the teachings of Jesus present to our world. Those teachings challenge us towards humility, to not seeking power, to standing up for the poor and oppressed, to not seeking revenge, to challenging structures that do oppress and the list goes on. These challenges are in no way meek and mild, they are an affront to many of our natural instincts, they call for us to rise above our failings and they call for us to sometimes put ourselves on the line where we must in order to better serve the good of our world, a world gifted to us.

The question for many Christians, indeed not just Christians, but many people in general, will relate to the appropriateness of breaking the law and damaging property. The question for me stands around what is appropriate when one considers that law to be detrimental to the well being of humanity and also the question of where does authority reside? Is the state, those who determine the laws of the land, the highest authority? The unequivocal answer from a Christian, as these men are, is no, the state is not the highest authority.

As Christians we are called to respect the authority of the state, but where following the state causes us to ignore our higher convictions and suppress that which God has called us to through the person of Jesus, we are compelled to act in ways that still fit within that which we have been challenged to follow, but where necessary, those actions must challenge the state towards the betterment of humanity. Where the state works against that, we are compelled to speak and act.

The Waihopia three had spoken. From what I am aware they had engaged in protests outside the base prior to this action. In the face of that speaking, their message was being largely ignored and our nation was carrying on with no serious questions being asked about the use of the Waihopai facility. In the tradition of non-violent, direct, open and accountable action, these men decided to act. They were acting with the motivation to honour those they believe have needlessly died and they acted to contribute in some way to ceasing the loss of more lives through a war they deem to be needless. It could be argued that they could do no else.

Whether we agree with them and their actions or not, we could make a very strong case that their actions are consistent with the teachings of Jesus and with that in mind, this non-violent, direct, open and accountable action that amounts to some people standing by their convictions in the face of war and violence and the conversations and further activities it could lead to, give us much to think about and should act as a challenge to us and how willing we are to stand for what we believe in. The world needs our help, what are we doing to make it a better place?

About the author: Frank Ritchie is a licensed Minister in the Wesleyan Methodist Church of NZ, husband, and also the father of one.