Refusing violence in all circumstances
Violence begets violence. Rooted in fear, violence begins in our hearts and is manifested outwardly through our words (perhaps, in today’s society, more so through our fingertips and screens) and, in the worst of circumstances, through our actions.
Followers of Jesus should not only be at the forefront of denouncing all forms of violence, but should also be leading the way in our refusal to participate in the cyclical and pervasive culture of violence, whether in word or deed. Jesus did not make loving our neighbor or loving our enemies optional.
We have been called to the sometimes difficult task of exercising compassion, kindness, gentleness, humbleness, and self-control in all circumstances. Difficult though it may be for our human frailties, it is the way of Jesus, and it is the non-violent, loving posture towards all humanity to which Christ beckons us.
#LoveYourNeighbor #LoveYourEnemies #BlessedAreThePeacemakers