Jesus: Practice Non-Violence

Jesus belabors His point about how to meet violence in Luke 7: 27-30:

But I say to you who hear:

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
and pray for those who spitefully use you.

To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.
And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.

Give to everyone who asks of you.
And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.

Is this not shocking? To not defend ourselves? To not even seek redress from those who steal from us?

Why would Jesus say such a thing? Surely he wasn't serious?

But He was.

First, Jesus knew that the worst thing we face is not death.

On the contrary, death will be a joyous reunion with our Creator.

The worst thing humankind faces is that earth will become a living hell of terrorism and hate.

And this is happening.

Why?

Some say it is the war in Iraq. But that is just a symptom of an illness that afflicts our collective soul.

Terrorism is growing because we are stubborn.

We refuse to follow Jesus' teachings of non-violence.

Firstly, we refuse to surrender our anger and fear. We think it protects us.

Secondly, we like to believe that revenge is a deterrent to further violence because revenge feels good, biologically.

Thirdly, we refuse to stop programming our minds with violence through film and television because we like to be thrilled and entertained.

If Jesus appeared on earth today and said we could have complete peace if we turned off our TV sets, how many people would do it?

My guess is about 3. We are addicted to television and violence. So although we say we believe in Him, we ignore His messages for the most part because following them would require us to give up our addictions.

Yet we are in a catch-22. As long as we keep growing violence inside, we will see an increase in violence outside. Macrocosm mirrors microcosm.

Jesus urged that we train our minds to practice forgiveness and non-violence because He knew that no one can hurt us when we are full of love.

What we need is a kind of 12-step program that weans us from violence to love.

It was my intention when I wrote Prayerforce: 365 Days To A New Life to create such a process.

For when we are fearless and intend only love and forgiveness toward others, God is there with us and the hate of others cannot touch us.

When we communicate with God on a daily basis and affirm He leads us in safety, He does. And He never fails us.

It is only when we walk alone that we are on our own and subject ourselves to the odds of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But when we live a life in which we send love back and forth to God for ourselves and others, we need never fear for our safety again.

For as you do unto others in your mind, so will it be done to you in the world.

Feel the truth of this and your life will be transformed.