I appreciate the comments on the last post! I look forward to interacting more as this blog grows. I love all the friends who encouraged me on the last post! You all are awesome!
This weeks post is on Non-Violence. It is a movement I am exploring. This is one of the most difficult explorations I feel I have been on.
I was listening to another youth pastor share this story of his first experience meeting a minor who had been trafficked through the sex trade. He had said to me, "When you look into the eyes of this 13 year old girl, all you want to do is drastically murder every single person that has wronged her, even once. Not just simply kill them, but show the entire world what you think of these slobs who mess with these girls."
He is not alone. As I partner with organizations that fight and defend the rights of those who are robbed of their basic humanness, I notice full well the rage inside of my that demands I go out, kick down the brothel doors and rescue these girls. My response is almost always in relation to retaliation and retribution for the wrong doings of others. I have spent most of my life claiming I know God on one hand, and giving permission to violent responses on the other hand. I can't think of a time in the Bible where Jesus, our image of God, calls for responding with violence. This is disconcerting, considering most of the time, as Americans, our response is typically with physical domination.
For me, it is an identity problem. I feel violent when someone attacks me (even if it is my family or friends.) I feel the best way to get back at them is to respond in a negative and unhealthy way that shows how dominate I am, and how unaltered my life is by their comments.
I was listening as an older student was telling me about being bullied. They showed me a scar on their arm from being shoved by this bully. They told me what it was like to be shoved into a locker every day, to sit by themselves everyday, to be called names that were not even remotely true. This student, who is beyond brave, shared with me that they could endure all the physical "crap" if they would just leave their "family alone." I was caught off guard for a second. I thought they would say them self. They so gently, and without hesitation, responded by saying "I can deal with the comments about me, I know they aren't true, they still hurt, but I can't deal with how they talk about my family, or in particular, my brother." This person went on to explain why they felt sick to their stomach the moment they found out who their brother is. They said, "It took all of my energy not to want to clock these people in the face. Just because he was gay." I asked, why didn't you clock them, to which her reply was the best "Because I wouldn't want to end there. I would want retribution. And to be honest with you, most of the people who were bullying me had worse lives than I did. So, I move on, it took away their power." This is coming from the mouth of a person who was 16 at the time.
The whole time I am in this conversation all I think about is "Man, I would LOVE to just clock those people." We so easily fall into this trap that the best way to respond is to clock this person. I fall into the trap that the best way to rescue the minors who are trapped in a brothel would be to kill their pimps and captors. I mean, how many of you have that feeling, how many of you act on this feeling?
But is this healthy? It makes me actually call to question my faith. Did Christ ever respond in the gospels with violence? I mean, when Christ met with the outcasts, listened to the stories of being bullied, did Christ honestly ask them if they were going to "clock" those people? No. God knows where violence comes from. It comes from our pride, our desire to be number one, our need for domination. Violence coerces people into submission to our will and desires. It does no good. Responding with violence kills our case for Christ, it hinders our testimony. I believe that God so loved all the people of the world, which if that is true, then we must believe that those we wish to be violent against, God loves. God loves those pimps, those rapists, those people whom we hate, the bullies and people who simply grind our gears. If God loves them, and we love God, then logically should we love them too? Shouldn't we want redemption for them as well? If so, then why respond with violence? Why do I want to clock those bullies? Why do I want to murder those pimps?
I think, for some reason, that this swift justice will bring closure. Sadly, the opposite is true, and teaches others that it is okay to take revenge. Don't get me wrong, there must be consequences for our actions, for what these pimps and rapists do. There must be justice for the bullied. But justice can't be done violently, otherwise it dirties the Cross of Christ we are attempting to testify to.
In part 2 I will point out how I find Biblical Justice does not include the Death Penalty, Guns or other responses that involve tragic weapons, while praising the good cops and military folks of our nation.
In part 3 I will share how I am trying and attempting to respond to our world with hopes that it is non-violent. I will also share how terrible I am at this.
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