Dismantling Your Inner Empire

We are seeing the rotten fruit of the American Empire on full display—ICE raids, kidnappings, rights stripped away, unlawful redistricting—while the fragile foundations of democracy crack and fall apart. 

John Dominic Crossan, in God & Empire, names the four cornerstones of empire as political, economic, military, and ideological power. While the first three subject marginalized people to crushing realities, ideological power is the most nefarious. It shapes, controls, and distorts the minds and spirits of both oppressor and oppressed. 

This crisis calls us to critical self-reflection. We have been indoctrinated by the forces the American Empire rests upon – taught to value profit over people and individualism over interdependence. Embodying these values leads to greater disembodiment of God’s love. Our Inner Empire must be dismantled and rebuilt so we can respond with fiercer clarity and love as Christians. 

The four cornerstones of the Inner Empire are supremacy, privilege, hatred, and fear. These four cornerstones lead to the dehumanization of others and the self.  

Supremacy captures the belief in our own inherent superiority over others. Privilege points to unearned advantages we protect or ignore at the expense of others. Hatred names active hostility toward others (or parts of ourselves). Lastly, fear fuels self-protection. When we fear losing control, status, or safety, we build walls inside ourselves, like the walls of Jericho, impenetrable to danger, but also impenetrable to authentic love.  

Knowing that these cornerstones corrode the soul, what can restore the soul? 

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. —Matthew 21:42 

Jesus was a tekton, the Greek word for builder, not carpenter. As a day laborer, Jesus knew from experience what it took to build houses, including magnificent temples and buildings for the Roman Empire. He embodies the cornerstones and models that we need in our daily lives. We need to follow his blueprint.  

We can rebuild our foundation with the four cornerstones of humility, responsibility, compassion, and connection. These four practices help restore our sense of humanity toward others and ourselves. These values help us to rebuild the world we desire where, in Pope Francis’ words, “land, lodging, and labor” are available to all.  

Humility allows us to see one another as equal, with deep reverence and openness to all and the environment. It reminds us we are stardust amongst the infinite cosmos.  

Responsibility teaches us to be accountable for our actions and stewards of one another and the land.  

Compassion promotes empathy, love, and benevolence, which help us tap into God’s tenderness for the world.  

Connection is the strongest cornerstone. It teaches us about radical solidarity, belonging, and courage. Connection invites us to action. We recognize that when one injustice happens against one group of people, it happens to us all because of our sacred interconnectedness.  

Have the courage to shake the foundations of your spiritual world. When you examine and create awareness around your entitlement, your privilege, and your position of power in communities, you can ultimately rediscover your true understanding of self, others, God, and the planet.  

To create the world we want to see, we need to start with ourselves. We must dismantle the Inner Empires we’ve built—brick by brick, belief by belief. The empire within must fall so that solidarity, justice, and love can rise. 

Joanna Arellano-Gonzalez is a cofounder and the Director of Spiritual & Theological Formation with the Coalition for Spiritual & Public Leadership, a spiritually rooted community organizing coalition in the Chicagoland area. Visit their work at csplaction.org. 

The Center for Action and Contemplation’s mission is to introduce Christian contemplative wisdom and practices that support transformation and inspire loving action. In this issue of the Mendicant, we are honored to share with you articles from five members of CAC’s community about what loving action looks like in their lives. Download a PDF of this issue.