Gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
Gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside
Ain't gonna study war no more.
refrain
I ain't gonna study war no more,
I ain't gonna study war no more,
Study war no more.
I ain't gonna study war no more,
I ain't gonna study war no more,
Study war no more.
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Matthew 10:34-36
34"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her motherinlaw—
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'[e]
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You aren't a pacifist, you are just scared of accidently fighting for the wrong side.
All I know is if I am going to err, it will be on the side of peace. "Put away the sword." "Bleseed are the peacemakers." "Turn the other cheek." "Love your enemies" "Do not resist the evil-doer" You who have not sinned cast the first stone" "God has called us to live in peace."
ReplyDeleteIt is absurd to suggest that Jesus would choose violence over peace to accomplish some end. His peaceful presence evokes (or should evoke) such passion among his believers that there would be natural human conflict as the believer rejects the ways of the world. If we are not suffering some of that conflict or persecution, then maybe we, like Peter, have hidden ourselves away from the center of the true conflict, and that is
Christ Himself.
Being human, perhaps we can come up with no other solution than violence in turning back a true oppressor. But like Christ, part of our responsibility, our very nature, should be to put our bodies between the oppressor and the oppressed and from that position exert only that force necessary to stop the oppressor.
That's just my opinion of course.
And this is exactly why I made this post...I agree with you entirely btw, Bob, but I'm going to play devil's advocate here.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a difference between violence and conflict - right?
There are those that would, as Christians, back off from causing conflict because they dislike violence.
Then there are those, Christians, who cause conflict because thats what good Christians do, right? Rock the boat? And if thats violence, so be it.
When you say you "err on the side of peace" I'd say that is "less than" knowing which side you are on (if there is one) and sticking with it. We, as Christians, should always side with peace. But are there times as Christians where our Christian actions lead to not-so-peaceful responses? Or do I compromise my Christian love to avoid making someone else violent?
"exert only that force necessary to stop the oppressor" - stop the oppressor? from doing what? hitting me or hitting you? Share with me please an example where we as Christians are asked to do anything more than let oppressors waltz all over us. Because to STOP someone might just need a bit of force that often might come in the form of violence.
What I'm saying is that Christians, in the name of peace, have backed off from the difficult path of Christ. We've sacrificed conflict for peace - and in doing so we've missed God's purposes.
So, which is worse? Sitting back because the way forward looks gray? (scared) Or pushing forward because you KNOW something you are going to do will cause conflict, even if it is questionably love.