In a continuation of the thoughts visited in the last post, I am reminded of something that just confuses me about much of Christianity. If Jesus was God incarnate....the exact representation, how is it we so often fail to see that violence just doesn't fit in the life of a follower of Jesus?
What confounds me is that the talk of non-violence by some in the Church sends others into a sort of convulsions. This morning as I was pondering these things and praying, all I could think of was the reaction many had to the way Jesus loved people. The way Jesus loved left those bound by hate in a more agitated state. It stirred even more anger in them. In a sense, God's love seen in Jesus is an act of rebellion. Rebellion against the powers of the world. A hostile act of sorts from the perspective of alienated humanity. It exposes it for what it is.
People who are hanging onto the use of violence in any form will certainly feel that anger and violence rise to the surface when faced with the self-sacrificing love of God. Especially when expressed in circumstances they don't think deserve it. The love expressed in Jesus just has that effect. He was crucified because the world just doesn't know how to deal with it. All they know is violence and hatred and self love (which really isn't love).
The actions of self giving, of love, of sacrifice, of dying are the true 'violations' of this world system and they will cause a great perturbation in those that don't understand this kind of love. But why does this cause such a ruckus in the Church? I will leave that for you to decide for yourself.
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