Five things Friday roundup: Things I’ve learned living in Babylon

Members of a life group from Trinity Mennonite Church, Glendale, Ariz., depart the People’s Rally that was held at the Arizona State Capitol on Jan. 18. — Juliana Shepherd Davis

For followers of Christ, living in the shadow of empire is nothing new. The early Christians navigated life within the Roman Empire, interpreting its systems of power through the coded imagery of Babylon – another empire – found in the book of Revelation. Similarly, the early Anabaptists, whose movement began 500 years ago this week, found themselves resisting both the political and religious empires of their time.

Today, the forces of empire – whether manifest in nationalism, systemic inequality or the pursuit of power – are just as strong. As Anabaptists, our tradition equips us to respond prophetically, rooted in the belief that Jesus calls us to live as an alternative community within the kingdoms of this world. Here are five lessons I’ve (Josh) learned living in Babylon.

1. Calls to peace and unity can be toxic

If you’ve participated in Mennonite or Anabaptist communities long enough, you’ve likely heard appeals for unity and peace during times of conflict. While unity and peace are central to our faith, these calls can become toxic if they overlook the need for justice.

Too often, such appeals are used to maintain the status quo, ignoring abuses – both systemic and personal – that demand accountability. Jesus’ ministry shows us that true peace disrupts injustice. His life and teachings were divisive when the empire’s status quo oppressed the vulnerable.

Christian communities exist to manifest the Kingdom of God. When the focus shifts to preserving unity for its own sake, communities lose sight of their purpose. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Life Together, “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.” True unity comes when we prioritize love and justice over comfort and superficial harmony.

2. Everything is theological, and everything is political

Theologian Karl Barth famously said, “Read the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” This interplay between faith and the world’s realities is vital, because theology is never neutral. How we understand God shapes how we live and engage with the world.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s resistance to Nazi ideology illustrates this. His theological convictions, recently explored in the book Discipleship in a World Full of Nazis by Mark Thiessen Nation, led him to challenge the Babylon of his day. He wrote confessions that opposed the false teachings of pro-Nazi Christians and called for a costly discipleship that refused to accommodate empire. Likewise, as Anabaptists, we understand that following Jesus means rejecting the ways of empire – ways that prioritize power, wealth, and violence over love, justice and reconciliation.

Putting God first requires us to confront the systems around us, interpreting everything – from economic policy to care for the planet – through the lens of Christ’s call to discipleship.

3. Silence is violence

In the face of empire, silence is complicity. Revelation’s imagery reminds us that the forces of Babylon depend on the apathy and inaction of those who should know better. As Revelation 18:4-5 calls out: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.” This plea to separate from Babylon’s corruption underscores the danger of complicity. Similarly, Revelation 3:15-16 critiques the Laodiceans’ spiritual indifference, warning that lukewarm faith cannot stand against the empire’s demands.

Faith communities often avoid engaging with difficult social issues because it’s uncomfortable or divisive, but Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 warn against such inaction: “For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” He explains this is the case whenever the marginalized and oppressed are ignored. 

When churches carry on business as usual while injustice thrives, they abandon their prophetic calling. Speaking out may be uncomfortable, but it’s a necessary act of love and solidarity with the oppressed. To remain silent in the face of injustice is to align ourselves with the violence of empire.

4. We see what we want to see

Empire has a way of blinding us to its own injustices. Many people become most vocal when their personal political values are challenged, while remaining silent about ongoing systemic violence. Revelation warns against Babylon’s seductive power – its ability to make us feel comfortable while injustice thrives. As Revelation 18:3 states, “For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” Babylon’s wealth and allure make its corruption easy to ignore, even as it thrives on exploitation.

As Anabaptists, we’re called to see beyond the surface. This means recognizing that violence and oppression persist even during times of “peace” and understanding our own complicity in these systems. Over the past 25 years, U.S. presidents from both major parties have perpetuated war, economic injustice and environmental harm. If we only critique empire when it inconveniences us personally, we’re not living into the Kingdom of God. May our communities have the courage to name Babylon for what it is and work toward a vision of shalom.

5. Hope is resistance

Living in Babylon can feel overwhelming, but the hope we have in Christ is itself an act of resistance. Revelation doesn’t end with Babylon’s victory but with its downfall and the coming of the New Jerusalem. This vision reminds us that the powers of empire are not ultimate – God’s Kingdom is.

Hope is not passive optimism. It’s an active trust in God’s promise to make all things new. When we live with hope, we refuse to let the despair of empire define us. Instead, we work toward a world that reflects the justice, mercy and peace of God’s Kingdom.

As we navigate the challenges of living in a modern-day Babylon, let us draw on the rich history of our faith. The early Christians, the Anabaptists, and countless others have shown us how to resist empire with courage and hope. May we carry their witness forward, living as a people set apart for God’s Kingdom in the midst of the kingdoms of this world.

Alisha and Josh Garber

Alisha and Josh Garber are in a season of discernment. After over a decade of mission work in Europe, they Read More

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