“Neutrality and solidarity are impossible”

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Suppose you live in a five-room apartment with a wife and two children. One day someone knocks on the door of your apartment. Shortly after, it crashes. The door breaks. A man enters. He ends up declaring that he once lived here and demands the right to live again. Two more men appear. They occupy the bathroom, kitchen and living room. What are you doing? Negotiate with invaders? About what? Your apartment. request help? Once you do that, the men will draw their weapons.

A year ago, Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine. There are reasons to understand what Putin did. But no reason justifies his aggressive war.

Neutrality and solidarity are mutually exclusive

How should a Christian react to this war? Look away? Won’t go. This is cowardly. According to the Western model: Putin is an enemy, Zelensky is a friend? Doesn’t work either. It’s too undifferentiated.

The Christian will be guided by his teacher from Nazareth. He says: If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the left to him as well. Concretely, this would mean that Ukraine should allow itself to be killed and disappear from the map. not of this world? never. Jesus does not say: if you see someone being beaten, just look and do nothing.

The Christian will vigorously defend the decision at the green table. And if it does not work out, then how are things going in the current war in Ukraine? Then the Christian must make a choice. If he lives in Switzerland, does he have an alternative: remain neutral or act in solidarity?

The myth of apolitical Christianity

There is a very relevant story in the Bible. The robbers beat the man half to death, the priest passes by, just passes. A man from Samaria bows to a sacrifice. So far, the teaching of the Jew Jesus has been briefly described. If someone is serious about their Christianity, the die is cast. His boundless solidarity with the attacked Ukraine. The man from Samaria was not neutral. He acted in solidarity. Laws are always guided by interests, but never objective. They do not always serve the welfare of the people. This also applies to the neutrality of Switzerland. Neutrality and solidarity are mutually exclusive. From a Christian point of view, it is important to act in solidarity with Ukraine at all levels, including primarily at the military level. Lie to support Ukraine with money and housing for refugees, but not military materials, and think that you are neutral.

I hear the old story about non-political Christianity again. If you want to be a Christian, you cannot but participate in social and political affairs. The source of his actions is Jesus. He ended up on the cross of the world power of Rome precisely because he showed solidarity with those beaten by life and cared for them. Christianity is not a welcoming August religion. Churches are not allowed to maneuver. They must show their colors or they will betray their master. The current color is blue-yellow.

*Josef Hochstrasser (75 years old) was a Catholic priest before his marriage. Since then he has been a Reformed pastor. Hochstrasser has written several books, most recently The Church Can Take Her Life – Ten Theses After 500 Years of the Reformation, published by Zytglogge Verlag in 2017.

Source: Blick