Hypocrisy and help.

“Until the United States changes its own policies of holding detainees indefinitely, in secret prisons and without basic rights, it cannot credibly be viewed as a world human rights leader." _Spokesman for Amnesty International

The U.S. released its annual human rights report today. This is our government's state-of-global-humanity address, as well as a sort of worst-of list. The worst of 2006 was declared to be the Darfur genocide.

I wonder how true this spokesman's reaction is. I know it's true that the U.S. has come under fire for some of its practices with prisoners. Just yesterday I read a New York Times article written by a man who had been mistakenly detained by the CIA for months and months in terrible conditions, only to be dumped somewhere sans supplies or apology when they figured out the mistake. There are other, more common, less dramatic cases documented, even admitted by the President.

Still, the U.S. hasn't conducted any genocides lately, or ever. The government is not guilty of "widespread killing of civilians, rape as a tool of war, systematic torture, robbery and recruitment of child soldiers." But does the fact that we're "not as bad" mean we can act self-righteous toward "really bad" governments, like Sudan, while ignoring our own faults? No. Do we have a responsibility to speak out against Darfur genocide? Yes. Should we have pure motives while doing so? Yes. Do the children who are suffering in the meantime care more about our motives than about stopping the genocide? No.

Complicated issues that I don't have answers for.

"Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity." _Daniel, to Nebuchadnezzar

How does the gospel, with its message of repentance, of healing and cleansing, of a new kind of kingdom - all on a spiritual level, but certainly with future implications for the physical dimension as well - have any bearing on government integrity and Darfur? Well, all I can say is that like all good Christian civic leaders (and there have been quite a few, though not as many as we might wish), we must strive to make the gospel permeate our society. Not on a superficial moralistic level; not simply through public policy. Minds are change when hearts are changed when God's people ask God to change them.