The other day my friend Brett wrote in defense of using violence in a last-resort situation to solve problem. He addressed it in a mature way that I completely understand and, while I am writing to support pure pacifism instead, it’s not meant to be in opposition to him directly (and not the least bit personal), but more of a devil’s advocate response. Well, sort of. I currently haven’t decided exactly where I stand when it comes to violent measures “when necessary.” So I’m partially writing to get an idea out that’s been bouncing around my head, too.

First off, this argument is founded on general Christian ideology, so if that’s not how you swing, read on only for your own entertainment.

In America, Christians glorify the martyrs of the faith in other parts of the world. We stand in awe of those willing to stand up for their faith and die for it, then sit comfortably and question why it is that American Christians rarely die for theirs. It’s because it isn’t threatened here, in the land of free worship. But I argue that it is still threatened, albeit indirectly.

There is a fair amount to support the idea that Jesus taught pure pacifism. Not an idea closed to reasonable debate, but it’s a substantial point made in the New Testament. If that side is taken, then we should, ideally, not cause harm others when our safety and the safety of those around us is threatened. Instead, we should take the “third way” (as Shane Claiborne calls it in Jesus for President [see my review]) and respond unexpectedly, however that may be.

When we talk about peacemaking and the “third way of Jesus,” people inevitably ask bizarre situational questions like, “If someone broke into your house and was raping your grandmother, what would you do?” We can’t exhaustively troubleshoot every situation with nonviolent “strategy,” but what we can do is internalize the character and spirit of Jesus. We can meditate daily on the fruit of the Spirit and pray that they take root in us. Then we can trust that when we encounter a bad situation, we will act like Jesus.

At one festival, I was asked after a talk, “What would you do if you lived in Darfur and had a gang of young men running at you with machetes?” I though such a strange question deserved an equally far-out answer, so I said, “I’d take off my clothes and run around like a chicken, squawking wildly and pecking at the ground with my mouth.” I figure the chicken response is about as likely to disarm a mob of young hooligans as my trying to fight them. Either response would be ugly, but I’d opt for the former. I’ve already decided that the next time I get jumped, I’m going to turn some backflips and act like a ninja. Or I might just get on my knees and start speaking in tongues. Either seems as likely to hold promising results. At any rate, these aren’t solutions for the tragic situations of brothers and sisters in areas like the Sudan. Without a doubt, protecting the innocent is one of the strongest arguments for redemptive violence. A bunch of folks running around like naked chickens is not a solution to the crisis there. But the story of my friend Celestin [who continued to teach forgiveness and reconciliation, to eye-opening results, after militant Rwandans killed many in his church family] is. After all, Jesus didn’t say, “Greater love has no one than this, to kill to protect the innocent.”

The end idea is this: if we truly believe Christ’s teachings, and it is true that he asked for our peace and pacifism, we are martyrs if we stand up for that belief in any situation where our physical safety is threatened by another person.

Is this easy to do? No, not at all. But I’d wager that, if a nonviolent movement of Christians were to rise in this country, someone would take notice and perhaps see something in our faith that hasn’t been seen in quite some time through the inevitably martyrdom that would occur, even if not in great numbers. Something that goes beyond lots of words and cheesy attempts at evangelism and actually gets at the core of our faith and our humanity.

Defensive violence makes sense in a logical world where our own survival is of the highest value. But if our faith is what defines us, then it is for it that we should be willing to die, even when given the opportunity to fight back.

Sometimes you see something that makes you slap your forehead, not because of the thing itself, but at how well it sends the message of how silly some people are.

Thanks, Al Franken, for your satire via The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus. If only everyone saw the issue so clearly. The best part is that Franken may not even be aware of the message he sends about how the kingdom we are meant to participate in is not the empire around us.

Time to read Jesus for President again. I keep saying that.

People cannot support torture while claiming to be Christian – they are mutually exclusive. Just like fascism and democracy. Sorry Mom, I love you and your pasta, but you and masses of other right-wingers out there and not the Beatles, homosexuals, Muslims, hippies or rappers, have undermined the footing of American democracy.

You have abandoned your own Christian values of humility, forgiveness and compassion and have empowered craven, greed driven politicians to frighten our nation into submission. It takes far more strength of character to stand for peace, than succumb to war. This is why Jesus was tortured and murdered by people who feared the truth. Fascists all of them!

via The Public Record, via Jason.

Ouch. Those are some strong words from Robert Corsini. While I can’t say it’s only war- and torture-supporting right-wingers that are contributing to our country’s loss of footing, they certainly play a part.

There is absolutely no justifiable reason for a Christian to support the inflicting of pain or death on another human. We have been commanded to love, no exception. On a related note: War is not, and never has been, a means of creating peace. Nobody wants to be in the midst of a war, so maybe we shouldn’t be getting into it (especially on other people’s turf) if peace is the end goal. If we hurt someone, we are protecting no one.

(I have to say, it is quite nice to feel 100% behind an anti-war, anti-torture worldview and be able to defend myself about it. Thank you, Jesus for President.)

Another coincidental book choice while on my trip to Thailand. Not only was it fitting to be reading a calling for a change in American Christians’ perspectives on politics while dropped in a world of foreign politics, but I happened to be reading it much of the day on the 4th of July while stretched in a hammock on a remote island in the south of the country.

Jesus for President is written by Chris Haw and Shane Claiborne (who I already respect much for his book The Irresistible Revolution. They both have learned, from personal experience, the value in living a communal life with other Christians that is radically different than the culture that surrounds them. They make their own clothes, grow their own food and ask that those they commune with use their God-given skills and finances to help each other in every way possible.

The book itself is not a calling-out of a particular Christian-political demographic, as many might expect. It doesn’t say, “Here are the issues you should vote for and against.” Instead, it is a strong reminder that Jesus, our King, is not a king of the earth, like many hoped for in His time. He is here to raise a kingdom not of this world: the Church. So why should we even be buying into the politics of man?

Certainly some particular issues are raised, especially a concern about Christian support of war. But they spend a good portion of the book encouraging a shift from over-consumption to simplicity, questioning our need for “stuff” and asking if we’re really following Christ’s example in helping those in need around us when we set aside a big enough portion of our own money to afford flat-screen TVs and high-speed Internet.

I wish I could find nice, little quotes to pull out to convince you to change your life, but this is a book that needs to be read from cover to cover. I am not good at defending my points just yet (I want to read this again), but I want to say that this book has done more to break me down and rebuild my lifestyle more than pretty much anything else I’ve read. I can no longer support being a soldier as a profession, I’m starting to buy local more and I intend to buy a bike in the near future. Small steps, but they lead to bigger things.

Jesus for President is not easy to read, but necessary for any American Christian in my opinion.