Jesus came as a baby, born to a teenage mother, born in a barn with angels announcing “Peace on earth!” Jesus did not come as a warrior king, ready to conquer His enemies and set up an earthly kingdom. His birth proclaims peace. His words promote harmony. His life declares NONVIOLENCE. This is our word to focus on today. And it’s a word that seems to have disappeared from much of Christianity. Yet, it can’t be ignored if you take seriously the words and life of Jesus.
The early church, during the first several centuries after Jesus’ life, before the time of Constantine, seemed to take for granted a way of nonviolence. Lactantius in the third century says, “For when God forbids us to kill, he not only prohibits us from open violence, which is not even allowed by the public laws, but he warns us against the commission of those things which are esteemed lawful among people.” (Sider, Christian Nonviolence and Church History, Plough Quarterly magazine) Many other movements have continued this tradition of nonviolence, such as the Anabaptists in the 16th century and the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
Some churches adopted the word pacifism, which is an unfortunate choice of wording. For pacifism implies being passive, doing nothing, or ignoring conflict. I don’t think this is the way of nonviolence. Nonviolence promotes finding creative ways to confront conflict and evil. It doesn’t ignore it. It doesn’t walk away from it. It doesn’t avoid risk. No, it walks into the middle of conflict and shows another way. It doesn’t take the easy way of turning a blind eye nor does it take the way of an eye for an eye. It takes the difficult path of peaceful resolution, of turning enemies into friends. “If you overcome your enemies, you’ve failed. If you make your enemies your partners, God has succeeded.” (Thomas Keating)
So, this Christmas, let’s stop justifying violence. Let’s stop putting protecting ourselves and our own as our first priority. Let’s stop equating patriotism with Christianity. This Advent, let’s let the words of Jesus start a spark within us that grows into a huge conflagration of spreading peace. Let’s welcome Jesus by turning our swords into shovels and our spears into hoes. (Micah 4:3; Isaiah 2:4) Let’s become a nonviolent people again.
“I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.” Matthew 5:44-45
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