War No More

Isaiah 2:4, And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Luke 12:4-5, And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body (man), and after that have no more that they can do.

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell (God); yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Hebrews 1:30, For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

ATHANASIUS ON PEACE

“Christ is not only preached through His own disciples, but also wrought so persuasively on men’s understanding that, laying aside their savage habits and forsaking the worship of their ancestral gods, they learnt to know Him and through Him to worship the Father. While they were yet idolaters, the Greeks and Barbarians were always at war with each other, and were even cruel to their own kith and kin. Nobody could travel by land or sea at all unless he was armed with swords, because of their irreconcilable quarrels with each other. Indeed, the whole course of their life was carried on with the weapons. But since they came over to the school of Christ, as men moved with real compunction they have laid aside their murderous cruelty and are war-minded no more. On the contrary, all is peace among them and nothing remains save desire for friendship.

Who, then, is He Who has done these things and has united in peace those who hated each other, save the beloved Son of the Father, the common Saviour of all, Jesus Christ, Who by His own love underwent all things for our salvation? Even from the beginning, moreover, this peace that He was to administer was foretold, for Scripture says, ‘They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into sickles, and nation shall not take sword against nation, neither shall they learn any more to wage war.’(Isaiah 2:4)  Nor is this by any means incredible.

The barbarians of the present day are naturally savage in their habits, and as long as they sacrifice to their idols they rage furiously against each other and cannot bear to be a single hour without weapons. But when they hear the teaching of Christ, forthwith they turn from fighting to farming, and instead of arming themselves with swords extend their hands in prayer. In a word, instead of fighting each other, they take up arms against the devil and the demons, and overcome them by their self-command and integrity of soul.”

St. Athanasius the Great

VENGEANCE & JUDGEMENT

Dear Peacemakers,

Romans 12:19, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Luke 6:37, Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

         Well now, that should be enough said on this topic.  Correct?  It all seems so simple to me: Read and believe the Holy Scripture.  It is the word of God.  I am too simple minded, I am sure.  We better cover more ground on this topic.

         In Just Peace Apologetics (JPA) we know that any action not done out of love is doomed from the beginning, and yet I am amazed by those I meet that think we can have peace through war and violence.  I must share with you two short incidents about ministers I have run into who carry guns.  They are Pistol Packing Pastors for sure:  I will call them 3P1 and 3P2.

         3P1 is a chaplain to a police department and to a Marine outfit.  Whether talking about war or criminals he gives a similar comment, “The good guys should have the best weapons and kill all the bad guys.  Let God sort out any that were innocent.”  “Excuse me,” I said, “but I don’t think that is what He has asked of us.”  He quite emphatically said to me, “Times have changed, and we need to help God out.” 

         3P1 went on to say, “If we kill them it keeps them out of Hell.  God will set them straight.”  “More like the thief of the cross than Purgatory?” I asked.  “Oh, yah…not Purgatory!”

         3P2, in a way, was even more shocking to me. “I also think it important to make room for pacifists as a matter of conscience and as long as they do not seriously argue or insist that everyone who is not as they are is evil.”  And, “This is unlikely, not because I think your view is unusual or hopelessly pristine from an historical perspective but because I think you are simply wrong.”  These dismissive comments seem to hold a mild threat, perhaps something like: “Hold your silly little opinions if you want, but stay out of the way of good American Christians.”  Those who live by the sword are sinful, and may be evil.

         Neither of these “Pistol Packing Pastors” can support their violent Christianity with scripture, tradition, or reason, at least within the early Church.  (Yes, as God’s revelation was being rolled out to us in the Old Testament there were wars.  And after A.D. 400 or after the legalization of Christianity by Emperor Constantine “just wars” begin to be talked about) It is in the example of Christ’s love that we should seek our lifestyle and mission.  They are certainly patriotic, but perhaps lost in a theology of the simple.  Don’t get confused between a state-church and “the Church.”

         “I” and/or “we,” individual or group, home/community/religion, who can/should take a stand for violence in view of the example of the life of Christ in the Gospels?  Many have been called “good Christians.”  When Christianity became legal, we then had things to protect.  We built wealth and collected possessions.  “They would have to pry them from our cold dead fingers, after a violent battle, if they were going to take them from us!” one might be thinking.  That is not what Christ teaches us in the Gospels.

         “Us” and “them” is a distinction that is not part of the Gospel message.  Salvation is offered to all of God’s human creatures, our neighbors.  Do we love them as much as we love ourselves? (We know how much God the Father loves us, as he sent His Son to save us.)  If one is hurt by another before reacting they must ask, “What did Jesus do?” 

         Violence creates pain in others, individuals to nations.  We must stop and look to Christ’s life for example, and ask of the Holy Spirit for comfort.  That violence certainly includes war, but it also includes all violent acts.  In JPA the Christian nonviolent activist must choose to reject all violence.  We cannot hope to do God’s work and act in opposition to His example and words.

         Those who feel the need to use violence on others do not trust their own God to do what is right and good.  God’s use of me may not be apparent to me.  What He wants and what I want may be very different.  Can I turn it all over to God, living a life in the example of Our Savior?  If you feel a need to protect others do it with prayer, not pistols...God, not guns.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Robert Pax

BOOKS:  “Founding Faith,” by Steven Waldman, is about the development of the Constitutional view of religion in America.  “Ain’t Gonna Study War No More,” by Milton Meltzer, is about the development of the peace movement in America.  Both are great for building understanding and background.

QUOTE:  “When I first met the great Jesuit peace maker and poet, Father Daniel Berrigan, I wanted his advice about the life that lay ahead of me, but I didn’t know exactly what to say.  “What is the point of all this?” I finally asked him.

         Dan took my awkward question seriously.  “All we have to do is make our lives fit into the story of Jesus,” he said.  “We have to get our lives to make sense in light of the Gospel.”

         What a helpful answer!  I never forgot it.  The Christian life, I was learning, is fashioned after the life of Jesus.  As his followers, we have to know his story, enter his story, and make our story part of his story.  The Gospel, in other words, is the measure of our lives.”  Fr. John Dear

LOVE TO OTHERS

“What are we to do then, my friends? We must bestow our love on our brothers and sisters. We must not allow any malice at all to remain in our hearts. May almighty God have regard for our love of our neighbour, so that He may pardon our iniquities! Remember what He taught us: Forgive, and you will be forgiven. People are in debt to us, and us to them. Let us forgive them their debts, so that what we owe may be forgiven.”  St. Gregory the Great

“I cannot persuade myself that without love to others, and without, as far as rests with me, peaceableness towards all, I can be called a worthy servant of Jesus Christ.”  St. Basil the Great

Matthew 5

The Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 5

Foundational to Just Peace Apologetics

[1] And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

[2] And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

[3] Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[4] Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

[5] Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

[6] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

[7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

[8] Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

[9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

[10] Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

[15] Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

[16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

[17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

[18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

[19] Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

[20] For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

[21] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

[22] But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

[23] Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

[24] Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

[25] Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

[26] Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

[27] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

[28] But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

[29] And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

[30] And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

[31] It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

[32] But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

[33] Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

[34] But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

[35] Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

[36] Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

[37] But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

[38] Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

[39] But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

[40] And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

[41] And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

[42] Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

[43] Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

[44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

[45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

[46] For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

[47] And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

[48] Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Maximus

“But I say to you,” the Lord says, “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you.” Why did he command these things? So that he might free you from hatred, sadness, anger and grudges, and might grant you the greatest possession of all, perfect love, which is impossible to possess except by the one who loves all equally in imitation of God.” 

St. Maximus the Confessor

Dear on Yoder on Jesus

National Catholic Register

John Howard Yoder's Political Jesus (a cutting)

By John Dear SJ

Created Oct 18, 2011, On the Road to Peace

Few theologians write so explicitly about the political threat of Jesus and what that means for his followers. Here are other excerpts:

"Jesus gave (his followers) a new way of life to live. He gave them a new way to deal with offenders -- by forgiving them. He gave them a new way to deal with violence -- by suffering. He gave them a new way to deal with money -- by sharing it. He gave them a new way to deal with problems of leadership -- by drawing upon the gift of every member, even the most humble. He gave them a new way to deal with a corrupt society -- by building a new order, not smashing the old. He gave them a new pattern of relationships between man and woman, parent and child, master and slave, in which was made concrete a radical new vision of what it means to be a human person. He gave them a new attitude toward the state and toward the 'enemy nation.'"

"At the heart of the Christian faith properly understood is not dogma or ritual, but Jesus. At the heart of the meaning of Jesus is his teaching of the kingdom of God. At the heart of that teaching is the Sermon on the Mount. At the heart of the Sermon is the contrast between what had been said by them of old and what 'I now say to you.' At the core of these antitheses is the love of the enemy and nonresistance to evil. The result is what Tolstoy calls simply the 'key' to the scripture message: the cure for evil is suffering. Not only is this one dramatic and scandalous teaching of Jesus internally accredited as the key to the scriptures, it is also the key to what is wrong with the world."

"What is wrong with the world is most fundamentally that people respond to evil with evil and thereby aggravate the spiral of violence. The key to the good news is that we are freed from prolonging the chain of evil causes engendering evil effects by action and reaction in kind. By refusing to extend the chain of vengeance, we break into the world with good news. This one key opened the door to a restructuring of the entire universe of Christian life and thought."

"Jesus is saying (in Matt. 5:44-48) that we should not love only our friends because God did not love only his friends. We are asked to 'resemble God' just at this one point: not in his omnipotence or his eternity or his impeccability, but simply in the undiscriminating or unconditional character of God's love. This is not a fruit of long growth and maturation; it is not inconceivable or impossible. We can do it tomorrow if we believe. We can stop loving only the lovable, lending only to the reliable, giving only to the grateful, as soon as we grasp and are grasped by the unconditionality of the benevolence of God."

"This is one of the keys to the problem of war and legitimate defense. Every argument that would permit the taking of life is in one way or another based on calculations of rights and merits. I prefer the life of those nearest me to that of the foreigner, or the life of the innocent to that of the trouble-maker, because my love is conditional, qualified, natural, just like that of everyone else. Jesus does not condemn this normal, self-seeking quality -- for Gentiles, but he says there is nothing new, nothing special, nothing redemptive or healing about it. 'What reward can you expect?' Not only is 'perfect love' not limited to those who merit it; it goes beyond the unjust demands of those who coerce compliance with their will. 'Do not (violently) resist one who does evil.' The alternative is creative concern for the person who is bent on evil, coupled with the refusal of his goals."

Because Yoder put together the practice of nonviolence with the life of Jesus, it is no wonder that much of his writing is focused on the meaning of the cross, and these reflections are unmatched. Forty years later, he still has much to teach of about the way of the cross. For example:

"The believer's cross is no longer any and every kind of suffering, sickness, or tension, the bearing of which is demanded. The believer's cross is, like that of Jesus, the price of social nonconformity. It is not, like sickness or catastrophe, an inexplicable, unpredictable suffering. It is the end of a path freely chosen after counting the cost … The cross of Christ was not an inexplicable or chance event that happened to strike him, like illness or accident. To accept the cross as his destiny, to move toward it and even to provoke it, when he could well have done otherwise, was Jesus' constantly reiterated free choice. The cross of Calvary was not a difficult family situation, not a frustration of visions of personal fulfillment, a crushing debt, or a nagging in-law; it was the political, legally-to-be-expected result of a moral clash with the powers ruling his society."

"Christ is agape; self-giving, nonresistant love. At the cross, this nonresistance, including the refusal to use political means of self defense, found its ultimate revelation in the uncomplaining and forgiving death of the innocent at the hands of the guilty. This death reveals how God deals with evil; here is the only valid starting point for Christian pacifism or nonresistance. The cross is the extreme demonstration that agape seeks neither effectiveness nor justice and is willing to suffer any loss or seeming defeat for the sake of obedience. But the cross is not defeat. Christ's obedience unto death was crowned by the miracle of the resurrection and the exaltation at the right hand of God."

John Howard Yoder deserves to be widely read, and this book is a good place to start. I hope all Catholic and Christian peace and justice activists will join me in studying Yoder's work to gain new insights into the nonviolence of Jesus and our own Gospel nonviolence.

LOVE

Dear friends,

         The Gospel message is one of love.  It is in this love that we find our strength and our mission to live this life in peace and justice.  The love of God is not just offered to us as cool refreshment.  We are commanded to love.  If we are going to accept this God, in all free will, then we will love:

- Matthew 22:36-40, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

(The Summary of the Law)

- John 13:34, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

(Jesus died for us, but did not kill for us.)

- Matthew 5:38-45, Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

(Matthew 5 is very important to setting our course of love in this life.)

         Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God the Son, can command/demand this of His followers for He was sent by God the Father: 

- John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

         I grew up thinking that love had something to do with girls, cars, and popular music.  I wasn’t entirely wrong, but I certainly was limited.  Then, when I was 18, my friend and I were given a recorded copy of C.S. Lewis’ “The Four Loves.”  It was amazing to listen to.  It was an actual recording of Prof. Lewis reading his book.  First, I had to get past his wonderful articulation.  I was then able to start listening and learning.  He returned to the ancient Greeks to bring four different loves to our awareness:

- AGAPE – “Godly love,” Storge, Philia, and Eros are not self-sufficient in and of themselves. Decency and commonsense to goodness to one particular relationship, only God can sustain love.

- EROS – “between man and woman,” that part that is unique to humans, beyond biological impulse (though not excluding it), two as one in heart and mind.

- PHILIA – “friendship,” the most un-natural of the loves, the least needed and recognized, and real friendship is rare!

- STORGE – “affection,” as an adult to a child or a person to their pet. It is the humblest, most modest and comfortable of the loves.

         Through Prof. Lewis we see how love grows from good and gentle affection, to friendship, and the love of spouse to the source of all love.  We know through experience that the journey is not a straight line or locked steps.  We also know that some don’t reach full knowledge and sometimes we stumble.  It is such hard work.  It is the fuel, though, that allows us to worship our God and try to do his will.  Without love we cannot sustain the hope that drives us to work for peace and justice.

         Loving in and of itself is great power.  It also shows the evil one and those who do his will which side we are on.  We know as those who have chosen this path that we must love, and that it will be used against us, as a believer or as a friend/lover. "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken." C.S. Lewis.

         I continue to read about love, because we must continue to grow in our knowledge to understand what we are to work towards.  In some sources “agape” is the part of God’s love that we are allowed to understand.  In other sources, looking at their definitions, they seem to have combined “storge” and “philia.”  Another writing talked about “agape” is the love of “charity,” and is free of emotion (as if emotion is bad).  I will continue to study.

         In all our reading and worship we must try to love and forgive ourselves, and then get to work.  I read the following and jotted it down on a scrap piece of paper: “For most it is not a struggle between loves and which love will get our attention, but between ourselves and love.” (I think it is Lewis, again.)

         Faith, hope, and charity are fuel for our work of peace and justice.  They sustain us, as they are from God, and are reflected to us from others who have chosen to believe.  It is in love that we become the Body of Christ on earth, the Church Militant.  I Corinthians 13:13, And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).

         Live a life in God’s love, have faith that He knows your needs and will be there in the right way for you, and know there is always hope in Him who loves you.  You don’t have to take things into your own hands.  In all of this read the Gospel with new eyes, and seek God’s hope and truth, not man’s wishes and delusions.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Robert Pax

BOOKS:  “Christian Attitudes to War, Peace, and Revolution,” by John Howard Yoder; “The Politics of Jesus,” by John Howard Yoder; “John Howard Yoder: Spiritual Writings,” edited by Paul Martens and Jenny Howell

QUOTES:  “The crucified Jesus is a more adequate key to understanding what God is about in the real world of empires and armies and markets than is the ruler in Rome, with all his supporting military, commercial, and sacerdotal networks.”  John Howard Yoder

“How inappropriate and preposterous was the prevailing assumption, from the time of Constantine until yesterday, that the fundamental responsibility of the church for society is to manage it.”  John Howard Yoder

The Prince of Peace

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined ... For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
(Isaiah 9:2,6,7)

Military Service

Before treating the matter of a military crown I think we must first ask whether military service is appropriate for Christians at all. What is the point in talking about incidental matters when the assumptions which they rest on are wrong from the start? Do we think that one can rightfully superimpose a human oath on one made to God? And that a man can answer to a second lord once he has acknowledged Christ? And that he can abjure father, mother and all his neighbours when the Law prescribes that they be honoured and loved next to God and that the Gospel holds them in the same high esteem, valuing only Christ above them? Is it right to make a profession to the sword when the Lord has proclaimed that the man who use it will perish by it?

Will a son of peace who should not even go to court take part in battle? Will a man who does not avenge wrongs done to himself have any part in chains, prisons, tortures and punishments? Will he perform guard duty for anyone other than Christ, or will he do so on the Lord’s day when he is not doing it for Christ Himself? Will he stand guard at the temples which he has forsworn? Will he go to a banquet at places where the apostle disapproves of it? At night will he protect those (demons) that he has exorcised during the day, leaning and resting on the spear that pierces the side of Christ? Will he carry the standards that rival Christ’s? Will he ask the commander for a password when he has already received one from God?

– Tertullian

Fr. Dear on Sermon

June 10, 2004
Thou Shalt Not Kill
(Matthew 5:19-26)

Last weekend, Daniel Berrigan and I spoke to a church gathering on Block Island, Rhode Island about these difficult days of war. A ninety-nine year old woman named Ira stood up and told about her grandson who has been preparing to enter the seminary to become a minister, but then decided to join the Marines. She asked him, “If someone orders you to kill, are you going to obey that order?” Yes, he said. “But aren’t you planning to become a minister someday?” Yes, he answered again. “Well, Jesus would never kill anyone and he orders you not to kill anyone no matter what.”

The grandson was speechless. But he has gone into the Marines and is now in Iraq. She continues to write him, urging him not to kill anyone and advising him to quit immediately. “I have seen wars throughout my entire life,” she said, “but I can tell you that war never solves anything. War destroys everything and makes everything worse. We have to be against war for the rest of our lives.”

In our Gospel from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Thou shalt not kill, and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother or sister will be liable to judgment. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there you recall that your brother or sister has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”

The Gospel is very clear. We have two choices. We can be like the scribes and the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, disregard this great commandment, and kill in the name of God to maintain our power and prestige; we can be like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and their generals and refuse to reconcile or show love; we can be angry and support the killing of thousands and millions of people in Iraq and elsewhere in order to protect U.S. interests and oil companies. Or, like the saints and martyrs, we can follow Jesus, refuse to kill, be mindful of the roots of violence within us, refuse to give in to our anger, forgive those who hurt us, reconcile with those who have something against us, love our enemies and practice divine compassion.

What we are trying to do is simple and yet difficult; it does not attract media interest or worldly esteem. We are trying to follow the nonviolent Jesus. We not only refuse to kill or support war, we try to watch the anger and violence within us, to maintain the peace of Christ in our hearts through prayer and forgiveness, to reconcile with everyone, to love our enemies and even to practice perfect compassion toward all beings, just like Jesus. This is the wisest choice we can make, the best thing we can do with our lives, the most helpful way to live in these dark times.

The goal of this Gospel life lies in the opening verse: “to let our righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees.” We too have to surpass our modern day culture of Pharisees, to surpass the warmarkers of the day--Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and their generals, as well as the warmaking church and its military churchmen--and so “to enter the kingdom of heaven,” here and now, at this Eucharist and every moment for the rest of our lives. All we have to do is live in peace, resist Bush’s wars, show compassion toward one and all, stand in peace with all people, and follow the nonviolent Jesus.

Just Peace Apologetics

Dear fellow searcher,

         Now we have come to the point where we need to define Just Peace Apologetics (JPA).  Here is my view:

-  Just, as in justice, and not only civil/cultural justice, but also heavenly justice, as in “Blessed are…”

-  Peace, as in nonviolence, from individuals to legitimate governments to religions, and being free of violence to our body, mind, and spirit

-  Apologetics, the defense and explanation of a particular view, in this case one of Christian pacifism/nonviolence.

         JPA is an attempt to build a strong case for Christian pacifism.  I could say that it is as plain as day from reading the Gospels that we should be nonviolent and that Christianity is the religion of peace.  I can then hear my Missouri relatives saying, “Show me!”  As this JPA series develops academically, agree or disagree, I hope will be able to say you will have read a well-defended view of the faith.

         There are four large categories of how Christians view war/violence, though there are variations on each.  Here is a simple list:

-  Crusade or Conquest, as defined as aggressive and often preemptive

-  Just War, as defined as defensive and protective

-  Nonresistance, as defined as protecting the individual from having to kill, but that individual may support the “war effort” in a nonviolent way

-  Pacifism, as defined as providing no support for war or violence, based on Holy Scriptures, the life of Christ, and the early church

         Please let me state at this point that I have never really liked the word “pacifist.”  It raises images to me of punching bags or bowling pins being struck and damaged, while being inactive and immobile.  One like this is truly a fatalist, and has abdicated hope to the aggressor.  Christian Pacifists, armed with JPA, are full of the hope of God and are active in the effort to spread the true word of Christ.

         In the unfolding of the revelation of God through the Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, we reach the final culminating revelation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  “What did Jesus do?” should be the question we ask over and over.  No speculation needed.  Look to His life.  I will present to you in further writings scriptures and writings that support our call to nonviolence

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Robert Pax

BOOKS:  I ran across an interesting title while at a book store a couple of years ago: “Put Down Your Sword, Answering the Gospel Call to Creative Nonviolece,” by Fr. John Dear.  He has done so much, why hadn’t I heard of him?  I suppose we always like what agrees with us, but I am learning from his writings daily.  Fr. John is a Jesuit priest, and one of the most active and vocal proponents for recapturing the Gospel intent of this religion of peace.  I would also suggest “John Dear on Peace, An Introduction to His Life and Work,” edited by Patricia Patten Normile, S.F.O.  This book is a wonderful entrance into the mission and passion of Fr. John.

QUOTES:  “Peace begins within each of us.  It is a process of repeatedly showing mercy to ourselves, forgiving ourselves, befriending ourselves, accepting ourselves, and loving ourselves.  As we learn to appreciate ourselves and accept God’s gift of peace, we begin to radiate peace and love to others.”  Fr. John Dear.

“Pursuing peace at every level of life – beginning within our own hearts and souls, and reaching out toward every human being alive on the planet – is the greatest and most fulfilling challenge one can undertake with one’s life.  But making peace in a world at war is an act greater than any of us.  It is a spiritual journey that begins in the heart and takes us on a road not of our own choosing.  But because it is a spiritual journey, a course charted by the God of peace, it is filled with the simplest but greatest of blessings.”  Fr. John Dear