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…
Tag: violence
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…
“What If?” Theology & Violence
For many Christians, the acceptance of using violence is not based on Jesus’ example, but on the fear of the “what-if” questions that plague their minds. I saw this firsthand in my Christian Ethics class in college. When we started having the conversation as to if violence was acceptable for the Christian, every student’s answer…
