Defusing Violence; Psalm 57, Proverbs 19

May the mumbling commence!

How do we meet and transform the violence of our society?  Violence is systemic in our world today – from our set and brittle attitudes to our jaded rhetoric to our psychological and spiritual and physical violence.  How do we transform this systemic violence in our society? 

I am quite sure that more potential and threat for violence is not the answer.  Violence to stop violence – really?!?  It may give a sense of peace but it cannot be sustained.  Violence to stop violence only adds more fuel to the fire.  To insinuate that the only way of problem solving is violent and deadly action does much more to harm us than the media circus or the movies of Hollywood or ultra-violent video games.

Neither is inaction nor is silence the answer.  There is another way.  In fact, there are many other ways.  If we persist in our thinking that there is such a thing as redemptive violence, then we will have no future but the future of falling over and over again into the same trap.  And we have baited and set that trap ourselves.  Read from Psalm fifty-seven:

They have prepared a net for my steps;

My soul is bowed down;

They have dug a pit before me;

Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah 

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and give praise. 

Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp!

I will awaken the dawn. 

I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing to You among the nations. 

For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,

And Your truth unto the clouds. 

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

Let Your glory be above all the earth. (Verses 6-11)

What is our way forward?  To find steadfastness in our hearts by grounding them in our God and the Way of Christ Jesus is the Way forward.  Immerse ourselves into worshiping the Lord.  Sing the great hymns of yesterday and the good spiritual songs of today.  Think about their words – how they give praise to God.

May these words awaken us to the mercy and truth of the Way of Christ Jesus – the way of obedience and selflessness.  May these words transform us so that we can seek to reconcile the fear and hatred among the peoples and nations.  May this reconciliation transform fear and hatred into understanding and peace and goodwill to all people.

It’s hard work that we must do together.  None of us has the right answer.  But, with God leading the way, we may discover a piece of the answer. 

Yes, only with God and the Holy Spirit do we have any hope to make progress away from a culture of violence.  Why do we embrace the flimsy and unreliable weapons of humanity instead?  This blind faith in guns is one of the seeds and roots of much of the culture of violence that permeates our culture. 

Who do I trust to protect me from gunman?  Who do I trust to protect me from the potential wiles of government or corporate America?  I do not trust in anything as flimsy as an army-issue assault rifle. 

I trust in God.  Where will you put your trust for protection?  Let us think carefully, and choose wisely.  Read from Proverbs chapter nineteen:    

The foolishness of a man twists his way,

And his heart frets against the Lord. (Verse 3)

So, do we continue to twist our ways with fear and hatred and violence?  Or do we start making deep changes that will transform our culture of violence?  Can we ever learn from history?  Or will we be doomed to ever repeat it – and fret against the Lord? 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out