Land of confusion

Watching world events of late has made me think about the Genesis song Land of confusion, also covered by Disturbed. The videos are shown below and are quite different in intent. The Genesis video uses the puppets Rubbery Figures to mock Ronald Reagan's cowboy politics. Recently reading An Angel Directs the Storm by Michael Northcott, I'm really struck by the influence of John Locke and dispensational premillenialism on US conservatism - neither of which strike me as biblical Christianity. American exceptionalism based on this and some idea of manifest destiny is truly frightening.

The Disturbed video is in one sense a better match to the music, with its view of empire, endless warfare and freemarket capitalism as a nationless fascism that only represses. As a Christian however, the idea that a violent uprising is the solution is repulsive - when violence is used to combat violence, violence wins.

To quote the song:

There's too many men
Too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Can't you see
This is a land of confusion.

What is lacking is love. Lack of love in violent responses to old enemies, lack of love in public policy on climate change, refugees, the poor and so on. People make the problems, and love is crucified on a cross to put things right.

But regardless of your religious outlook, can't you see that only love will bring clarity to the confusion?

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in.






Use your hands in love to make the world worth being in. I believe in the Christ, his kingdom come and still to come, and to love until it does.