Savage, unrestrained capitalism is the air our civilization breathes—a profound modern myth, a beastly empire that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. This air is poison, plunging us towards collapse and desolation.
Total capitalism cultivates desire and fosters collective madness, creating a culture that destroys both people and nature. Our narratives of endless growth and festivals of consumerism feed and celebrate the beast, but behind the scenes, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear, there is a relentless march towards the suicide of civilization. In allegiance to Jesus, we must resist this beast, challenge the forces of domination, reject the idol, and instead reflect the vision and values of the compassionate kingdom of Christ. We do not follow the destroyers of the earth but rather Him who is in the business of the reconciliation of all things.
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Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
We confess that we have been seduced,
Unconsciously, willingly, continually
Since the day of our birth,
In thought, word, and deed
By Lady Babylon.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
We confess that we have bowed the knee,
Pledged allegiance,
And embraced
The empire of our age.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
What have we done?
Turning from you, the living fountain,
To drink from empty wells.
Our idolatrous hearts are hard.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
Our eyes are beginning to open,
Our hearts are beginning to soften.
By your Spirit, we see things as they really are.
Babylon is a beast.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Babylon,
You beast.
You offer peace, freedom, and prosperity,
But you bring violence, captivity, and poverty.
Babylon,
You beast.
You offer shalom, security, and progress,
But you bring famine, war, and pestilence,
And wield the axe of ecological violence.
Babylon,
You beast.
We reject your stories,
We reject your myths,
We reject your cultural liturgies.
We turn afresh to Christ.
Babylon,
You beast.
We reject your unholy trinity—
Unrestrained capitalism,
Consumerism,
And militarism.
We turn afresh to Christ.
Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
As traitors, we return to you.
As prodigals and fools, we come running.
As wounded sinners who have broken covenant, we look to you,
To find forgiveness, hope, and reconciliation.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Father of Creation,
God of Reconciliation,
We pledge allegiance to the Lamb,
And ask that you call us afresh to be faithful witnesses,
Who will proclaim the greatness of your Son,
And speak up and stand against
Babylon,
The beast,
And the unholy trinity,
Until that day when all will be well.
Rev’d Jon Swales, 2024
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