yep, that is the topic of the day and just the idea of have a true "open" discussion rooted in when and how violence might be "justified" in the world around us scared me more than a little. As always, God was AWESOME, and a great discussion ensued.
My personal guiding principles/notes as shared:
- Do the ends really justify the means?
- My thought: The method of change should be rooted in and resemble the targeted end state.
- Killing as % of population of world is an interesting metric to focus on. Assertion in class was that world killing has decreased as a result of the US dropping the atomic bomb on Japan and starting the nuclear age. -- this would seem to disprove my idea... hmmmm, need to learn more about this. would love to hear comments or facts to prove/disprove.
- We must use the "exact likeness of God" shown to us in Jesus Christ as a guiding principle to ACTing in our world.
- We are called to action in a world in need of our service.
- Service and leadership are very different.
- Leaders have to make choices that others have the luxury of only talking about. Those actions speak for the rest of us. It is in appropriate to judge and indict so harshly unless we are willing to carry the burden.
- Shifting from a individual ideology to a collective "imposed" dictate for others is dangerous and must always be rooted in love, tolerance, inclusion, respect...
- Violence should be the last resort as it damages all parties.
- Judgement delivered by men on and to other men is at the root of a very bad cycle of events.
- (GameTheory) comes into play in judging and acting in these cases.
- Self confidence and self respect are critical in evaluating and deciding on action towards others. We cannot build ourselves up by destroying or diminishing others. In fact the opposite is true. As we build each other up, we are all "increased".
- Remember that your enemy is a "specific, beloved, first born, child of Christ"!!! just like you...
- Actions are personal and should remain that way.
- Acting like a Christian requires the discipline of a plan.. specific tasks, with measurable goals and milestones... The problem is that our plan won't ever be finished...
Scripture: 1 Samuel 30 1-4; 11-20
The final paragraphs of the Smith & Helwys commentary(written by Brett Younger of McAfee School of theology in Atlanta) summed it up for me perfectly.. and I read these words aloud to close the class and then closed in prayer. I hope they resonate with you no matter which God you worship and that you will consider what story your ACTIONS tell those around you. use of money, use of time... Do you act, or do you talk.. if so how.. What do you worship and how? war, peace, love, power...
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a short story titled "The Great Stone Face." It is the story of a young man named Earnest who is enamored with a face carved on the side of a mountain. Day after day, Ernest stares at the stone face. Bye the end of the story, his human face has started to resemble the one on the mountain. Remarkably, has has been transformed into the image of the face at which he has gazed.
The truth in the story is irrefutable: "What captures our attention shapes us. Focus day after day on a particular person or thing, and it will transform you. Nowhere is that more true than in our concept of God. We become like the God we worship. We are each transformed in the face of the God at which we gaze. Certainly, our concept of God will affect our view of war and peace.
If our God is a warring God, the God of the Old Testament who regularly issues declarations of war on Israel's enemies, that God will shape us. We will have no problem with any "holy war" that endeavors to stamp out evil and bring in God's kingdom.
If our God is a God who favors war over tyranny and oppression and can use war to bring about good, that God will shape us. We will have no problem with a "just war" that protects the innocent and seeks to alleviate atrocities.
If our God is a God who hates war and really means we are to love our enemies and turn the other cheek when someone attacks us, that God will shape us, too. We will have a problem with any war and will see it as an inadequate, un-Christian response to evil.
As always happens, our view of God affects the rest of our lives. In this case, it determines our view of war and peace. And our view of war and peace lets everyone know what kind of God we serve.
If nothing else, these lessons on war and peace will give us occasion to consider again our own concept of God.
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