Fear-mongering, an assassination attempt, 38,000 killed in Gaza. Violent words and action fill political speeches and news headlines, but why?
The reasons are manifold, but French literary critic and polymath René Girard introduced a compelling explanation in the 20th Century.
While teaching literature, Girard noticed that across time and culture, gods and humans sought to resolve rivalry through violence.
During a social conflict, blame is placed upon a person or group (often innocent), who Girard calls the scapegoat.
The scapegoat is murdered and the cathartic killing eases social tension establishing a temporary unity.
According to Girard, human societies are often founded upon these sacrificial murders.
In the Babylonian creation epic, Marduk kills Tiamat and creates the cosmos from her body.
In Roman mythology, Rome is founded after Romulus kills Remus. Many colonial countries were built upon the bodies of minoritized people.
Today, the unity of political and religious groups is commonly predicated upon scapegoating an evil other.
However, as Girard surveyed biblical literature, he noticed something different.
God condemns scapegoating and rejects revenge.
In Genesis, Cain kills his brother Abel and founds a city.
However, the victim’s blood cries out from the ground, and God seeks to prevent an escalation of violence. Jesus’ crucifixion unmasks the Empire’s heinous practice of blaming and sacrificing the innocent to maintain a false peace.
In rising from the dead, Jesus stands for the vindication of all victims and shows us the way of forgiveness and transformation rather than vengeance and condemnation. May we all learn the things that make for peace.
