hey everyone,
thanks so much for all of your fantastic insight into this issue. i resonate with everything that was written and struggle with the implications of being a peacemaker in this world of violence. it is quite simply the most difficult way to live.
i have questioned, for quite some time, why it seems to be true that Christians (more than other people i speak with) have a hard time accepting that God asks us to love (and do good) to our enemies, to bless those who curse us and to turn the other cheek. not only does he ask us to live this way, but God himself lived this way through Jesus Christ.
why is it that we praise the martyrs of 1st and 2nd century christianity, but we are now baffled by those who would rather die and kill?
why do we continue to pluck out our brother's and sister's eyes for the wrongs they have committed against us?
why do we battle other christians, showing no love or compassion in our words, over trivial matters of theology?
why do we believe we can be pacifists by abstaining from physical violence, while neglecting to be peacemakers with our words?
the answer to all of these questions really is very simple...it's not easy. Christ showed us the beautiful and selfless way of the cross, but we will always prefer the quick and easy way of the sword.
we still desire that which is the easiest and least costly.
if only we really believed what our Savior did and said.
peace
-dave-
3 opinion(s):
Hard in what sense? In the sense that it's contrary to society? I can see that. But if it's the true way to live, then it is not contrary to the Spirit, so if we are truly walking in the Spirit it should pour out of us "naturally." There would be no inner battle, fight to hold my tongue, no struggle to resist the argument, no shaking as we drop the sword. There would be no desire to say, "I told you so."
If we are transformed by God into His image, if the "fullness of Christ" is in us, then we don't have to talk ourselves into this. We simply live it. It's not a "method" it's who we are. Any victory is ultimately like that.
So I wonder sometimes about pacifists who rage inside as they strive to remain calm outside. That would be the hardest way to live.
I am not knocking this. I see it as the higher way. I just want the truth and I want to live it, not battle it.
I'll sum it up with this: Is there such a thing as "pacifism through gritted teeth"??
That's my point - not that Christ didn't promote this way of life. Just what does it truly look like.
I would say that the motivation for violent action, even though most of our Christian brothers and sisters do not have bad intentions, comes through our view of God. Heavily influenced by greek thought here in the west, we largely interpret God through personal attributes, "his revelation to us, in us." This creates doctrines and boundaries of which we govern everything, and with that, those outside of the boundaries are looked at with much contempt...hence, plucking eyes out and battling over trivial matters. Now the hebrew model of God is more centered, measuring the relationship of one moving towards God as being reflected through their values. Long story short, if we start viewing others in their journey towards God, we will begin to love them; if we continue to view people for what they are not, we will continue to have violence. peace.
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