A Sermon For Peace: Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I've seen too much hate to want to hate, myself, and every time I see it, I say to myself, hate is too great a burden to bear. Somehow we must be able to stand up against our most bitter opponents and say: We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will and we will still love you.... But be assured that we'll wear you down by our capacity to suffer, and one day we will win our freedom. We will not only win freedom for ourselves; we will appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory."

- Martin Luther King Jr., A Christmas Sermon for Peace on Dec 24, 1967

MLK on Non-Violence

New Year Unity: Palestinians and Israelis Worship Together

"We at Musalaha welcomed in the New Year by hosting our annual our worship evening. In cooperation with the Shemen Sasson congregation and the Alliance Church in Jerusalem, we were able to spend the evening of January 9 together worshipping in song and prayer in Hebrew and Arabic.

One observer wrote, “The room was crowded with both Israelis and Palestinians. Every seat was filled and there was standing room only. The worship was lively!

I was impressed with the sense of unity in the room as everyone genuinely wanted to be there [and hear] people worshipping in the ‘other’s’ language. Differences were set aside as people stood beside each other, lifted their hands and danced before a great God.

I was reminded that God has the power to reach beyond language, borders and the walls we put up as human beings. He showed me that through Him there is hope for reconciliation because He is a God of unity!”

From Musalaha Newsletter Jan. 2014.

INVENTOR OF THE AK-47 HAUNTED BY HIS CREATION

Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the Kalashnikov rifle, better known as the AK-47, died at the age of 94 last month, but not without regrets about the impact of the assault rifle that carries his name. In a 2012 letter published in a pro-Kremlin newspaper on Monday, Kalashnikov wrote to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, expressing anguish and remorse about the impact of his invention.

Here’s an excerpt of the letter from the BBC:

          

"I keep having the same unsolved question: if my rifle claimed people's lives, then can it be that I... a Christian and an Orthodox believer, was to blame for their deaths?" he asked. "The longer I live," he continued, "the more this question drills itself into my brain and the more I wonder why the Lord allowed man to have the devilish desires of envy, greed and aggression."

Kalashnikov had long refused to take responsibility for the deaths caused by his rifles, of which there are more than 100 million worldwide. The AK-47’s popularity grew because it is relatively easy and inexpensive to produce and maintain. According to the BBC, the soul-searching letter is typed on Kalashnikov’s personal stationary and written with a “wavering hand” signed "a slave of God, the designer Mikhail Kalashnikov." It’s unclear, however, exactly how much of the letter Kalashnikov wrote himself, the BBC notes. Kalashnikov’s daughter told the Russian paper that published the letter she believed a priest may have assisted in the writing of the letter.

ORIGINAL STORY AT SLATE.COM>

KELLY THOMAS: MURDERED BY POLICE

PACIFIST FIGHT CLUB: ROUND 4 - MARCH 15, 2014

PACIFIST FIGHT CLUB | ROUND 4
SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014
AT BIOLA UNIVERSITY


DETAILS TO COME.

KUNG-FU SHEEP?

By John Fischer.

"Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Be wary as snakes and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16)

There is much to be made in the teachings of Jesus of non-violence - even what I would call non-self-defense. Turn the other cheek; go the extra mile; if someone steals your shirt, give them your coat also; return good for evil; don't exact revenge, let the Lord do that; be happy when you are mocked, persecuted and lied about because your reward is great in heaven.

Ahem. Who, as Christians today really believes any of this? Who is acting on it? Come on, we're fighting for our rights, taking self-defense classes, packing pistols and telling the world "I've had enough and I'm not going to take anymore." Unfortunately that's a movie speaking, not Jesus. Jesus would say, Keep taking it because that is the way I do things. I get my will done in the world in an entirely different way than you would. I have different weapons. I use peace and love and kindness and good. An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth is not what I came to establish. I came to establish mercy and favor that is unearned. I brought something completely foreign to your natural way of doing things. I bring a new kingdom and I have a different set of rules. I follow the law of love. Still want to follow me?

I ask myself and I ask you, was Jesus just kidding when He said all this? I mean, how many different ways is there to say this? Can there be any doubt? Is the Sermon on the Mount some sort of dispensation we don't have to pay attention to any more? Is it a puzzle we have to decode? Certainly He doesn't really mean everything He said there. Really?

Sheep among wolves? Do sheep defend themselves? Are these kung fu sheep? No. Sheep have a shepherd. It's the job of the shepherd to protect them from wolves. A shepherd who lets the wolves in is a bad shepherd. We have a good shepherd.

"So what are you saying, John, that we should be wimps for Jesus?" Well I'm not so sure about the choice of words, but it might look like that to some people. If it is, it's a wimp with a backbone. In fact, it takes great strength to NOT retaliate. It takes great courage and restraint to do what Jesus is asking us to do. I wouldn't call that wimpy at all. Nor would I call it kung fu Christian. It's standing tall and taking it and loving and forgiving those who are dishing it out. Isn't that what Jesus did?

By the way, I am not speaking against national defense or the military. Even Jesus is not asking the nation to abide by the rules of His kingdom. The United States and the Kingdom of God are two entirely different things playing by different sets of rules. And I believe there is a way in which you can serve in the military and follow the kingdom Jesus is talking about in your personal life and relationships. I believe there are many who do. We have some in our Catch community.

Nor am I in a position to make all the conclusions as to what these words mean in our society and in our culture. There is room for discussion and debate here, but I am at least asking more people to acknowledge that these words and these teachings are there, they are central to what Jesus taught and stood for, and the way He acted Himself, and we have got to start paying attention to this and at least struggle with what it means to follow His example.

If you read the Sermon on the Mount and it makes you uncomfortable, then you have a ways to go in becoming a follower of Christ. I know I do. How about you?

John Fischer http://www.Fischtank.com