"Pastor, what do you think about Occupy Wall Street?"

Several people have asked me over the last few days what I think about the “Occupy” movement. I’ve given it some thought, and while I would never claim the authority of the Holy Spirit on such issues, I think my thoughts are relatively clear and somewhat balanced. I offer them as my own, and not those of St. John's or the Episcopal Church. I would gladly welcome discussion on them (preferably face to face over coffee- I'll buy.) I could after all be wrong, and the discussion would probably help both of us to apply our faith more authentically to the great issues of life.
1. I think that for the Church, her officers, and her official bodies to make strong political statements or to take strong political positions is extremely divisive and usually does more to drive well meaning people out of the church than it does to serve any prophetic ministry of the Church.
2. I think that the “Occupy” movement, like the “Corporate World” it seeks to address, is probably filled with a lot of very capable and well intentioned people with some very legitimate concerns. It also (like the “Corporate World”) has some very real troublemakers, ne’er do wells, and dangerous and unprincipled people in its ranks.
3. I think that any society which is characterized by a sense of division, and where enough people feel marginalized and disenfranchised to cause such civil unrest probably needs to do some serious self-evaluation:
a. Shapers of opinion need to acknowledge their role in turning people against each other and stop doing it, whatever their motives.
b. Holders of power and resources need to acknowledge their responsibility to the broader community and develop self-enforced ethical guidelines for living into that responsibility.
c. Those who lack larger scale power or resources need to acknowledge their responsibility to work within a flawed system and not seek to destroy the system (at least in a constitutional republic such as ours.)
d. Everyone needs to see everyone else as individuals created in God’s image rather than as members of groups destined to unending conflict and worthy of unending scorn.
e. Everyone needs to ignore and isolate demagogues as unworthy of consideration in civil society.
4. I think it is dangerous and often illegal to damage public or private property, to participate in large and potentially disruptive assemblies without a permit and a plan for maintaining order, or to impede anyone on the way to conduct lawful commerce or personal business.
In short, I think there are probably legitimate concerns and legitimate people in the “Occupy” movement and in the “Corporate World.” I am concerned that demagogues on the one hand and hard heads (or hard hearts) on the other get far too much consideration and control in modern society. I fear that if real revolution ever comes (from any source or point of view,) most of what we hold dear will be destroyed. And Finally, I think the Christian Community needs to work a lot harder at demonstrating those attitudes and ethics which will usher in the New Jerusalem.