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Pacifism:
Living the Impractical As the United States relentlessly pummels one of the world's poorest nations in our "war against terrorism", I have found myself in many debates with fellow Christians on the topic of pacifism. Although I view it is as, not merely an alternative to violence, but as the only response to violence available to Christ's people, many reject pacifism as being "nice in theory but impossible in practice". One person I spoke with even went so far as to compare it to Communism, as if I was suggesting pacifism was a form of government to be legislated rather than a principle to be lived. The most disturbing part of conversations like these is the way Christians rely on what is practical when considering a life of non-violence. The Christian faith in and of itself is far from practical, but that does not excuse us from living as if it is. After having that "pacifism equals Communism" discussion, I thought about what it is we, as Christians, believe. First we believe in and serve a God we can't see, taste, touch or smell and that we tend to feel only in relation to things we can see, like the sun on our skin or the wind on our faces. We believe that a pregnant virgin was chosen to give birth to the Son of this invisible and infinite being. Without knowing anything about his life between ages 12 and 30, we accept that God's Son never wronged a single human being—because the bible, a book that is riddled with inconsistencies and contradictions, says so. To top it all off, God's Son was not only killed and resurrected, He also visited friends, had dinner and showcased his wounds before shuttling up to heaven—literally. One would hardly call these occurrences practical much less believable. Yet despite the fact that our faith is filled with the unexplainable, Christians still find it hard to believe that we are to be peaceful because its "unrealistic". Rejecting pacifism as a Christian trait is more than a consequence of choosing logic for our moral compass. It is a flat out rejection of the teachings of Christ. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9) are Jesus' words in his sermon on the mount, which means that those who strive for peace receive special favor in God and are His children. In the sermon, Jesus makes no guarantees that being peacemakers will actually result in peace. Instead it implies quite the opposite. The more we strive for peace the more oppression we are likely to face. Turning the other cheek does not mean that ones opponent will refuse to strike it. Offering to walk the extra mile with your enemy does not mean he will lighten your load along the way. Offering a thief your coat does not mean that he will not demand your shoes and socks as well. In fact it is likely that ones enemy will take advantage of these acts of kindness in the face of hate, and cause you to suffer for it. This is impractical. It is also painful. Still, God asks us to carry on in this manner anyway because his Son did the same. Looking at this from a logical perspective then it would seem as if pacifists have everything to lose. Yet for the Christian, to paraphrase the Savior, to lose is to gain. Frankly, Christians hoping to be converted to the pacifist lifestyle we are called to lead with practical, realistic solutions will not find such evidence anywhere in the Gospels. They will however, find plenty of spiritual reasons to follow the path of Christ.
Matthew
5:43-48
Loving, not despising, our enemies is the way of Christ. Throughout his sermon on the mount, Jesus discusses peaceful responses to suffering. On the one hand, the world instructs us to curse, do wrong to, condemn and hate those who persecute us. Christ says the exact opposite. In these few verses in Matthew, He is even more straightforward about what we must do when facing our enemies. Bless them. Do good to and for them. Pray for them. Most importantly, we are to love them. As Christians, we cannot and should not respond in any other way. Loving our enemies is a true reflection of the unconditional love of Christ within us and acknowledges the humanity and Christ within our enemies. Just as God deals with the just and unjust in fairness, letting the rain fall and the sun shine on both of them equally, as His children we should treat our enemies in the same manner. To do so includes us in His family and makes us perfect.
By connecting righteousness with peacemaking, James makes two profound observations. The first is that, as Christians, seeds of righteousness must be planted nonviolently. As he states, they must be "sown in peace" for godly fruits to grow. Encouraging discord and hate amongst our brethren, and choosing to fight our enemies will not spread the word of God precisely because we will not be a witness for God as a loving Father. This brings us to James' other key point: that sowing the seeds of righteousness is the responsibility of peacemakers. Spreading the Word of God and reflecting the nonviolent life of Christ cannot be done in violence, be it physical altercations or verbal abuse. Taking the parable of the planter in the field, to sow the seed of Christ with strife would be like ravaging the soil and expecting a good harvest.
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Peter 2:20-23
Nonviolence is not only worthy of praise, it is also the standard for Christ's followers. Many Christians tend to write off Christ's nonviolent response to his crucifixion saying, "He had to do it! That's what He was sent here for in the first place". In doing so, they invalidate another important part of Christ's mission-to be an example of obedience to God for those here on earth to follow. From and earthly perspective, dying on a cross for crimes He did not commit certainly placed Christ, the Messiah, within His rights to defend Himself. But instead of fighting, He forgave. In these verses, Peter refers to the unfair suffering of Christ and states that "we should follow in His steps." It means nothing to be punished for our faults. Even the two thieves did so as they died on their own crosses next to Jesus. Yet to suffer as Christ did, even when He knew He was right-and to do it patiently-is both acknowledged and praised by God. There is no "right to self-defense" for Christians. There are only the commands not to revile when reviled and to suffer without even so much as threatening our attackers. Christ's perfection does not excuse us from a life of pacifism.
Perhaps the best argument against the current Christian belief in the right to protect ourselves can be found here in Romans. In verse 19, it specifically instructs us not to take revenge for the things that are done against us. Contrary to popular belief especially in light of the recent tragic events, Christians have no biblical imperative to "bring justice" to those who have done wrong. In fact, Paul says later on in Romans that the only people open to the judgement of the church are those who are within it. What we are called to do is to live in peace with everyone. Similarly to Matthew 5, Paul also gives concrete recommendations on how we are to treat our enemies. Rather than seeking their blood, we are to feed them when they are hungry and offer them something to drink when they are thirsty, because in the long run, God will vindicate His people. Since judgements and justice are not in our jurisdiction, we must be content with making peace.
No other verse says it quite as simply as Hebrews. We are to seek peace with everyone. Sometimes that requires being peaceful with those who are innocent victims, and other times it means loving those who did the brutalizing. Regardless of whether it is practical, realistic or a fairy tale, it doesn't negate the fact that Christians must be Christians and that we too will face oppression because of our calling. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The Lord is reflected in, not only our words, but in our actions. As a God of love and peace, it is only fitting that his Church cultivates the same characteristics.
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