For over a week we’ve been expecting the imminent birth of our second son.
Our first son knows about violence. He likes to pretend to punch things, throw spikes, burn and freeze. He knows that if you cut somebody, there’s blood, that he wants to kill bad guys. At the age of four, his penchant for terror worries me already. Will he grow up to respect human life in the way I want him to?
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X-Men: Apocalypse opened this summer, the latest installment in a famous comic turned film franchise. Although I have not seen the film, anyone familiar with the titular villain knows that the premise follows his character’s legacy: A nearly invincible and all-powerful mutant wishes to destroy the world of humans (and weak mutants) and create a world meant only for the strongest.
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I think to myself, when will we American Christians see the irony?
When we label Islam a violent religion with no teachings of peace, when we use violent rhetoric to attack doctors who perform abortions, when we treat refugees like potential threats to a country defined by mass immigration—what are we missing?
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It’s one of those days where a nation is met with terrible news of unspeakable, unpardonable violence. We wish for less of those days. We cringe at the hearing of them. Sometimes we are quick to respond. Continue reading
Brian Zahnd remembers when he, a pastor, threw a huge party for the beginning of the Gulf War—when he, a Christian leader, celebrated the invasion of a country and the use of the sword. Since, he has repented. He even says it was the worst sin he ever committed. A Farewell to Mars is part confession, part instruction, a book about why he left the effective worship of war and chose to worship only God alone.
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It’s been a week, including a Thanksgiving celebration, since the outrage of the Ferguson verdict. I refused to write until now. And because much has been said, I’ve decided to focus on the compounded ironies in retrospect:
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I once saw a guy wearing a shirt that said,
“guns don’t kill people.”
On that shirt was a sticker:
“Guns save lives.”
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The 23rd Digest: A Bicolonation of David
I need Him, I am content
I drink up, I sleep deep
I am mended, I am upright
I see shadows, I fear not
I grip firm, I walk easy
I have food, I have foes
I am soaked, I am sated
I know mercy, I came home
Christian Peacemaking Teams: An alternative to joining the military
Are you a Christian who has been offered a deal to join the military in your country?
One of the alternatives that exists is Christian Peacemaking Teams (CPT), an organization that calls for active, non-violent peacemaking action.
Among the work done by CPT are peaceful demonstrations, inter-army dialogues, supporting communities whose existence is in danger, and training for people in violent zones in alternatives to warfare as a way of solving problems.
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CALEB COY 