Confession: I’m Dogmatic about Non-Violence
What would you do if someone broke into your house and started beating your grandmother, torturing your sister, raping your wife and kidnapped your kids?
That’s the kind of ridiculous, hypothetical question pacifists are asked. I like Shane Claiborne’s idea of responding with an equally ridiculous answer like: “well I guess I would put my shoes on my hands, stand on my head and cluck like a chicken!” The truth is no one knows how they will respond in a situation like that until they are faced with it.
Rest assured, as always, one thing I am not about to suggest here is that there are easy answers. But consider this question, a better one in my opinion, and one that I have asked myself often: Can you picture Jesus ramming a bayonet into someone’s guts on a battlefield? My answer to this is, and always will be, NO.
I heard a story one time about how John Howard Yoder, the famous Mennonite theologian, was debating a man on this issue of non-violent resistance to evil. After the meeting, the man who was debating Yoder came up to him and said something like “well John, we have our differences on this matter, but we both worship the same God.” John looked at him and said, “No, I don’t think we do.”
I think Yoder makes an important point. When we talk about pacifism and just war theory, what we are really talking about is our understanding of God. I believe this is an important discussion that all Christians need to have. It is certainly something that is central to my life as a follower of Jesus. As much as I am happy to say that many of my beliefs are completely open for revision, I find it very doubtful that this one will change anytime soon. In this sense, on this issue specifically, I am openly admitting my dogmatism.
Violence breads violence.
Jesus said that those who “take up the sword shall perish by the sword (Matthew 26:52).” This is really all I need to hear. How much more simple could this be? Sure there may be periods when no fighting takes place between wars, but this is really a lull in the hostility until the next battle starts, often times with much more furry and malevolence attached. True peace will never come through violent means. I really do think, as the saying goes, that when Jesus disarmed Peter in the garden, he disarmed all Christians.
The ethic Jesus teaches, in my opinion, is not one that uses redemptive violence and power to change the world. It is a creative ethic of humble servitude and kenosis, that peacefully, lovingly and weakly subverts and conquers evil. Now I fully acknowledge that this ethic is very different from that of a civilized society like the one we live in today. After all, we all know that empires have to punish their enemies to keep everyone in order, that’s just common knowledge. So I guess this is where I agree with the Anabaptist tradition, that as a follower of Jesus I am bound to a much different “alternative” lifestyle, an upside down Kingdom of God type logic and way of life.
I’ve heard stories that the first Christians would say things like “for Christ we will die but we cannot kill.” I really do believe that as a Christian, if your last resort is violence, than either you don’t know the Jesus story very well or you’re ignoring something vitally important. Jesus’ last resort was not to use violence, it was to die so that all may live.
Two Masters
Our arms are too small to carry a Cross and a Sword.
I’m convinced that if violence is an option for someone, even as a last resort, then it’s actually more than that, it actually becomes a real possibility for solving a problem, however small, sub-conscious or inconspicuous it may be. It’s kind of like saying well, I could be creative, work hard and solve the math problem on my own, but just in case that doesn’t work, I’ve got the calculator in my back pocket. What are the chances I will not use the calculator? OK this analogy isn’t quite cutting it, but I think it gets my point across.
I think if you asked anyone if there is killing or violence in their “perfect world” (Heaven if you will) they would dismissively and laughably say no. Therefore, as people called to live out Heaven on Earth, how can we justify violence in any way? I for one cannot and will not, attempt to do it.
G.K. Chesterton writes, “”The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.”
I am not saying that the path of non-resistance to evil is easy, it is exactly the opposite. It’s a path that demands creativity and a passion and dedication to life, love and relationships–and for me, it is the only path.
Above Painting:
Artist: James Benjamin Franklin
Title: Prayer
Date: 2OO6
Medium: Flashe® and resin on canvas 15 X 14 inches 38.1 X 35.6 cm