The kind of peace I advocate for is the kind illustrated in the life of Jesus. He embraced peace to the point of death when he could have started a legitimate holy war instead. Not only could he have called angels down to fight, but he also had enough traction that he could have easily…
Tag: violence
The World Needs MLK Today
In a country filled with verbal violence and hatred, I find myself greatly missing leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., who was capable of fighting an issue that oppressed him (to the point of getting him killed) with peace and love. His words were strong and full of prophetic conviction, but his method was that…
Neuroscience and Violence
Our capacity for violence is partially found in the science of who we are. Your brain has been wired in such a way that when you feel triggered or threatened, you fight. Derek Flood explains the neuroscience in his book, Disarming Scripture. When the amygdala goes into alarm mode it shuts down the part of…
Why We Practice Peacemaking
In today’s podcast we talk about peacemaking and violence. Violence is accepted by most in some way, shape, or form, but the Scriptures show us how Jesus refuses to endorse it and even goes so far as to disarm Christians. If we can embody this kind of radical peacemaking, then we’ll be ready to make…
Blessed Are the Persecuted
According to The Washington Post, there’s a church that put up a sign saying, “WE ARE HEAVILY ARMED — ANY ATTEMPT WILL BE DEALT WITH DEADLY FORCE — YES WE ARE A CHURCH AND WE WILL PROTECT OUR PEOPLE.” I’d like to just take a moment to remind us all that our savior was one who…
