Violence

The Bible is a book full of violence – troubling, painful, angry, ugly violence. The Bible shows us innocent suffering, unjust retribution, harsh vengeance.

The world portrayed in the Bible is not a world we want to see, much less to live in. But it is the real world.

For most of us the violence of the biblical story seems far removed from our daily reality. We see pictures in the paper of death and mayhem. We hear news stories of horrifying human cruelty. But mostly, on a large scale, we are comfortably sheltered from the worst manifestations of the world’s suffering.

Be we cannot afford to be complacent about the reality of violence even in the protected world in which we mostly are privileged to live. Jesus took the issue of violence to a completely new level when he said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:2122)

The world of the Bible is violent because we are violent. There is violence in all our hearts at times; it may not manifest as murder, but it is none the less destructive to our deepest being and to the well-being of the world and the human community. In Jesus’ view, the violence of a harsh thought or an angry word is no different than the violence of murder.

The problem is that violence hurts everyone. When I belittle another person, or respond with harshness rather than gentleness, I inflict pain that spirals outward to affect the whole human community and the world in which we live. But it is not only the victim of my words or actions who is hurt, I am also damaged. My violence diminishes me as a human being created in the image of God. Jesus said, “it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” (Matthew 15:11) My violence defiles my own deepest and most true being.

I was not created for violence. I was created for gentleness and openness. I realize the fullness of my humanity, not by imposing my will upon the world and getting my way, but by yielding. The winners never win. Jesus said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30)

Violence ends when someone chooses to give way. When I am willing to let go, to surrender my cherished position, new ways open, new hope is born. The cycle of violence begins to unwind. The way of the cross of Christ shows that I am the winner when I am willing to be the loser. When I can bear the violence of life without retaliating with further violence, something deep and true opens within me and I find the light that is my true nature in Christ.
Read more...

Mean Blogs

In her April 23 blog, The Times of London writer Ruth Gledhill raised the troubling question of conservative blogs in which the writers “sip vim-and-vitriol under the cover of Christian sanctimony.” She warned “It’s ‘blog eat blog’ out here.”

It is curious and sad that some of the most violent, angry, bigoted writing on the internet appears under the guise of Christianity. There is a meanness of spirit that characterizes a great deal of blog writing and commentary in the Christian internet world that shames the Prince of Peace in whose name it is written.

Giles Fraser, Team Rector of Putney in south London suggests two reasons why Christians are often so mean in their blog writing.

First he suggests, these writers “believe themselves to be justified by some higher cause. This creates a blind spot, which is why the nastiest stuff comes from ‘believers’ with a mission.” His second explanation is that “on the internet, the other does not come with a face.”

These are perhaps the two foundational causes behind all violence. When I believe my cause or my conviction is absolutely and without question true and righteous, and when I fail to see you as truly human, it is a small step for me to begin to feel that I am justified in inflicting my will upon you at whatever cost.

The endless tide of violence will only begin to be stemmed when I respond to you with humility and intimacy. I will be less likely to inflict violence upon you when I am willing to acknowledge I may be wrong and when I am willing to enter deeply into your world and seek to know you as you perceive yourself.

Jesus instructed his followers, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged,” (Matthew 7:1) and went on to call for serious self-examination and self-awareness. When I hide behind my theology and use it as a weapon to dismiss anyone whose beliefs differ from my own, I will soon resort to violence.

If the sad endless tyranny of violence that characterizes human history has taught us anything, surely it has taught us to listen before we judge. Surely when I look at the brokenness of the human community I am challenged to open to you and seek to see the world through your eyes, before I demand you view the world as I see it.

Christian blogs need to model gentleness, sensitivity and openness to the other if they are ever going to communicate the truth they wish to convey.
Read more...