Eight years ago, September 11, 2001, America was attacked by Islamic terrorists. Shortly after, our nation went to war against those who perpetrated this evil. It has been a long and costly struggle. And today, as then, those of us who follow Jesus continually weigh that cost and wonder, “What is the Godly response to violence and injustice?” For 2,000 Christians have debated this question and different streams of our faith have answered it differently. For some, a violent response to violence is never justified. For others, war, while never desirable is sometimes, and under some conditions the better of several bad options.

On, Sunday, September 16, 2001 I addressed the congregation of North Heights Lutheran Church, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Below is manuscript of that message. We’re eight years removed from those terrible days, yet the questions still present themselves. While there are other Biblical perspectives, here is one “Christian” answer to the question, “Is war ever justified?”

Jesus’ words are inconvenient today. As the days pass and the horror of the New York and Washington attacks settle into the cracks in our souls, one bitter question still resounds: how do we love these enemies? In the first days we stumbled through cycles of crushing emotion. That first Tuesday was sat around kitchen tables, or in office cubicles in stunned disbelief. On Wednesday we stood awkwardly over our children’s beds trying to comfort their fears. On Thursday we lay awake into the night, haunting images of falling towers and weeping widows playing in our brains. On Friday we prayed, a nation so awkward on her knees. On Saturday we woke with the bile of rage fuming in our bellies: war, at once everywhere and no-where with each one of us a citizen soldier alongside the tireless firemen in Manhattan and the heroic hostages who stormed the cockpit over Pennsylvania. On Sunday, we walked into familiar worship spaces looking for some stitch to seam up the tatters. And what did we find? Jesus’ words agitating rather than comforting our souls. “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.”

The war, we are told is progressing into new theaters. But our rage is still very real. And it is good rage. Anger like ours is a sign of health, for our morally lethargic society is finally calling something absolutely evil. Some wonder, “is this God’s judgment; has our sin removed God’s protective hand?” Perhaps. But God never begets chaos. He is, even now using it to bring about his better purposes, but such carnage is nothing but the spawn of Hell. These deeds were evil and we are right to respond with anger.

But right anger is a dangerous companion. It can so easily turn and pollute our souls. Animals lash back against assault in a chemical, defensive instinct. We know this impulse, for we are, on one level, animals. But we are not mere animals. We are spirit creatures made in God’s image, called by God to rule our instincts with spirit. So we must distinguish righteous anger from vengeful wrath.

And we draw this line with love. Yes, love – the startling marriage of anger and love. Which leads then to a first question: How can I love my enemies when there is not a flicker of natural tenderness within me? In one sense this is the essence of being Christian: we can never do any command of Jesus. In fact the entire Christian life is impossible. Only Jesus can be a Christian, and only Jesus can live his will and way through me. As Dr. Morris Vaagenes is so fond of saying: “I can’t, you can, please do, thank you…”

But then, a second question: how do I love my enemies… or more accurately, how do I let Jesus love them through me? Here we find some surprises.

We bless them. Paul speaks directly: “Bless those who curse you” (Romans 12:14). Now “to bless” is something far more than to simply “wish the best.” Covenant blessing is a supernatural release of grace from one person to another, an unction that the blessed one might fulfill their supernatural destiny. Jacob (Genesis 49) “blesses” his 12 sons that they might each live out their intended purposes. To bless is to literally impart upon someone the presence of God, which will mean goodness as well as judgment. To bless our enemies is to ask that the weight of God’s fullness would be heavy upon them, and that they would submit under the pressure of His holiness, and realize the full potential of their lives.

Now to bless Muslims has particular significance. For our Muslim cousins (even those few who sanction this kind of holy war against the West) are aching for such favor from God. Their bitter hunger goes back to Genesis 21 when Ishmael the son of Abraham not granted the promise of covenant was sent away to the desert to live by his own wits and strength. And in the desert Ishmael’s children remain – the Arabs of today. The good news we bring to them is that in Jesus the same blessing of Isaac is available to all Gentiles – to Ishmaelites as well the rest of us. What they bitterly fight to gain can be theirs by faith! So we bless our Muslim cousins with the knowledge of the favor of God’s covenant for them.

We pray for them. Jesus directs us: “pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Why pray? Prayer is an act of intentional passivity, asking God to act where we can not. Before Nehemiah confronted Artaxerxes, the Persian King who held the Jews in exile he prayed. As a result, God bent the man’s intention (Nehemiah 1:10, 2:4). We might strike an enemy’s physical life, but no human can reach in to alter the heart or intent of another soul. In fact whenever one soul tries to bend the will of another, the effort ends in bitterness. God however can mold motives and attitudes, even the intentions of our enemies. In this, our greatest weapon against their violence is prayer for their souls.

We forgive them. In the prayer Jesus taught us we utter: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass…” Forgiveness is imperative! In fact if we do not forgive, even the worst offenses against us, we ourselves are not forgiven (Matt. 6:14). But what is genuine forgiveness? It is not a warm emotion. It is not mustering the will to “like” our foes, or overlook their offense. Biblical forgiveness is a legal matter, a covenant agreement. When we forgive we release a justified charge against another and in the process turn the prosecution over to God. He will exact the justice. Paul says it this way: “Leave room for God’s wrath.” And so we shall. By forgiving, we step aside and let God lift his leveling hand. And He does and will. For all his ways are just, and unlike our imperfect vindictive forces, His wrath is strategically redemptive.

We overcome them. Evil begets more evil. But when we intervene to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21) we turn evil deeds to an end their perpetrators did not intend. Joseph wept before his brothers saying “you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Paul (Philippians 1:12) claims that the injustice of imprisonment was turned to good because he redeemed the situation and made it an opportunity to share the gospel with Roman soldiers.

But how is this love for our enemies? When we do good in the face of evil we stop some of the affect of wickedness. We cover some of their guilt and lesson their eternal accountability for havoc wrought in God’s order. The heroic deeds of firemen, the blood donated, the financial gifts to families have birthed good in the world that was not here before September 11. And thus heroic love intended for helpless victims turns out, ironically, to be merciful love for the terrorists, for it dims their shame.

We stop them. Love has many faces. And there are times when we must lift a hand and halt the evil. Revenge belongs to God (Romans 12:19). Still, at times we must institute force to stop the chaos of wickedness. Jesus himself was not above using force in his ministry. He did so in the temple when he turned the tables of usury (Luke 19:42). This proves true, even if that force involves death. “Turning the other cheek” is a personal strategy for love. In corporate arena’s love takes on more complicated expressions. In the original language the commandment is “thou shalt not murder” not “thou shalt not kill.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer made a choice to join an assassination plot against Hitler, and he called it love, love for the victims but also for Hitler himself. How? C.S. Lewis, echoing St. Augustine who wrote of “just war” says that love must sometimes act forcefully. If we believe in an eternal judgment then stopping an evil person, even by killing him, can be merciful, for it stops him from further polluting the world and thus incurring darker damnation upon himself and those he influences. Worse things than death can beset a human soul.

Since September 11, 2001, all this dense theology is suddenly starkly relevant for us. We are a nation at war. But we are not the first to face this question of right violent resistance. Every generation of followers of Jesus has wrestled with the reality: some of you in the Second World War, in Korea, in Vietnam, in the Gulf, or as police officers or reservists today. Our purpose, as Christian-Americans is 1) to prayerfully and faithfully support our government and 2) to stand as a prophetic voice reminding our government of the love and mercies of God. Even in the midst of military fury we must insist that militant actions be driven not by vengeful wrath, but by aggressive, persistent, creative love, love in forms that on the surface may not look familiar, but are nonetheless vigilant mercies.

]]> http://www.prodigalmagazine.com/when-love-means-war/feed/ 1 http://www.prodigalmagazine.com/fight-like-jesus-iii-free-e-book/ http://www.prodigalmagazine.com/fight-like-jesus-iii-free-e-book/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:36:42 +0000 mherringshaw http://prodigalmagazine.com/?p=3065 “Be quiet!”

“Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One sent from God!” Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him (Mark 1:23-26 NLT).

Where is the devil attacking you?

Your enemy is talking.  What are you going to do?  His imps are poisoning the air with the half-truths of white lies. Loser!” one sneers. “Look, they’re laughing at you…” “She always gets her way…” “Go ahead, no one is looking…” “Why not, you deserve it….”  “This will never work for you!” “Make him live to regret that…” Today will be noisy, inside your head and out.

But what do you expect? You are in a war of words. Say something!

Jesus faced noisy days. In chapter one of Mark’s Gospel a demon with no tongue of his own used a broken man to vomit blasphemies. “What do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us?” Jesus showed it no tolerance. “Be quiet!” he said. “Come out!” The demon gagged on its own babble, winced and fled. Then Jesus gave the man a new life.

“Be quiet” was enough. Just two words fired a shot heard round the Universe. Jesus faced-down his foes directly, simply, and violently: “Let there be quiet!”

Your enemy is talking. What are you going to do? Talk back! Today you will face noise.  Your enemy intends to dismantle the world. “Let there not be…” he says. But you will not stay silent. You will show no mercy. You will borrow Jesus’ words in Jesus’ name and shut down the nonsense.

Answer envy: “Be quiet!” Answer suspicion: “Be quiet!” Answer distrust and fear and self-pity and lust and anger and gluttony and pride: “Be quiet!” Inside your own soul and on behalf of others, put these two words to work. Then rest easy.

Your mission: Listen carefully for the slightest deception. Listen for the inaudible, invisible source of the lie. When you identify your target, take aim. Then from under your breath let fly the borrowed words, in Jesus’ name: “Be quiet!” Then rest as the racket dies away.

Question: “Where is the devil attacking?”  Answer: “Be quiet!”

FREE RESOURCE :::..

But early on Mark had run scared. We don’t know details, but something happened to set him off. Fear of being mocked or worse?  Fear of losing the security he felt from familiar surroundings? Fear of not knowing how to fight to win? Whatever, Mark went AWOL. We piece together Mark’s story from Acts in the New Testament, a reference in a letter from Paul, the Gospel that bears his name, and from Church tradition. By the end, Mark makes a remarkable recovery and lives and dies, living up to his name – “Warrior.” As a young man Mark joined Paul and Barnabas when the community of Jesus-followers in Antioch commissioned then to plant churches around the Mediterranean. It proved dangerous adventure that Mark couldn’t endure. Shortly after the mission began Mark turned tail and headed home. Only he could explain why.

Mark surfaces again some months later, after Paul and Barnabas return, meet with leaders in Jerusalem and strategize for another trip. Big-hearted Barnabas wants to give Mark another shot. Paul vehemently objects. The two nearly come to blows over the matter and in the end they split up. Paul takes Silas on planned trip. Barnabas takes Mark and heads to Cypress. Barnabas saw Mark’s potential as he had once seen Paul’s potential when other Christians couldn’t trust him. Barnabas had a heart to restore Mark; Paul had the task to accomplish. Both good causes, but rooted in different values. Paul succeeded. So did Barnabas. Mark grew up, and out of his fear. Tradition says that Mark became a colleague of Peter and in time the leader of the North African church of Alexandria. Mark was martyred during the persecutions of Nero. In the end he didn’t run away.

Not long before his death Mark had a novel idea, literally. Having listened carefully to Peter’s retelling of Jesus’ life and teachings, he decided to write the stories in a narrative. The result was the Gospel of Mark. Taking Mark’s example, Matthew, Luke, and John followed with accounts of their own filling in details Mark did not originally include. The tone of Mark’s account is bold. He wrote for Romans who valued practical action. Mark’s Jesus is a man of action, at war with the demons of hell and their human allies. Yet Jesus fights, not with a sword or political maneuvers but with a few, powerful chosen words. Mark conquered his fears and became what his name denotes. He became a warrior who fought as Jesus fights – with a few choice words. As Mark borrowing from Jesus, so can we by wielding his simple, practical, powerful statements of truth.

Jesus doesn’t say much in Mark’s Gospel.

But when he speaks, things happen. Here’s a suggestion. Read the book straight through in one sitting. Read it aloud. Let the cryptic punch of the narrative go to work. As you read, follow Jesus.  Don’t think your way along. Those who first followed Jesus didn’t understand anything about the process before they started. And whatever expectations they had were dead wrong in the end. They simply moved out. Jesus said, “Come along” and then he turned and walked off. He even got them involved first before they understood things. Peter was healing people and casting out demons long before he “confessed” that Jesus was the Christ. Maybe we have things backward. Maybe we try to get the ideas down first when actually we’re supposed to act and then later come to grips with what it means.

Mark is a book about action. Jesus’ followers started doing what he did and saying what Jesus said and they got to know him by experience. In time their minds caught up, but to begin with, they just moved. I become a Jesus follower – a Christian – in the same way.  I do what Jesus is doing and say what Jesus is saying.  I borrow Jesus exact words and use them in situations like the situations he faced when he lived on earth.  As I leverage Jesus’ words, Jesus himself will be in me “doing his stuff” because Jesus and Jesus’ words are one and the same.

People ask, “How do I be a Christian?”  Simple: put Jesus words to work in your life and through your life. Today it can begin. Here are some pressing questions. These questions frame the challenges we face in life. But Jesus has an answer for every one.

• Where is the devil attacking?

• Where is their sin – in my life and in the world?

• What is out of control?

• Where is there pain?

• What am I afraid of?

• Where is there a need?

• Am I staying alert?

Read Mark’s Gospel with these questions before you. Watch Jesus closely.  How does he address these basic human needs? As the stories unfold, imagine doing the same at the “Tuesday moments” of your life.

“Be quiet!”
“Be clean!”
“Be still!”
“Be free!”
“Be unafraid!”
“Be opened!
“Be careful!”
“Be yours!”
“Be alert!”
Words of Jesus from The Gospel of Mark

Say something, for God’s sake!  When Jesus shows up things happen. When he shows up he uses words and the world is recreated. Words are Jesus’ weapon of choice and his tool of design. He could hurl lightning bolts, or split mountains with his fist, or with a wave of his hand toss the armies of the planet into the sea. Instead, Jesus says things. For words, when they are the right words, spoken by the right messenger, are enough.

At the start of his ministry Jesus explained his mission in words that Isaiah the Prophet had borrowed from God:“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”
Luke 4:17-19.

Jesus claimed this as his commission – to proclaim things as they ought to be. Everything Jesus does follows what he first says; and everything Jesus says echoes what God said seven centuries earlier through Isaiah.

·         Jesus’ words fed those in need. With words he turned water to wine and multiplied bread and fish – twice. Jesus’ words were enough to make enough and make provision a sign of his regime.

·         Jesus’ words pardoned the guilty. With words he declared a leper “clean” and a prostitute “forgiven.” Jesus’ words were enough, with grace enough to make pardon a sign of his regime.

·         Jesus’ words healed the broken. With words he declared a blind man whole and dead girl alive. Jesus’ words were enough, with power enough to make healing a sign of his regime.

·         Jesus’ words expelled demons. With words he drove out a legion of spirits and silenced a blasphemer. Jesus’ words were enough, with authority enough to make deliverance a sign of his regime.

·         Jesus’ words revealed Father’s love. With words he told stories of victory in this world and hope in the next. His words were enough, with vision enough to make favor a sign of his regime.

What if following Jesus was really this simple?  Just five things we learn to receive and give away?

It’s a hell of a world and life is hard. The fight we face goes to the death. God created this world with words. Now his Enemy and ours tries to foil God’s plans. His foul mouth steals and bends words that break things and kill people. Jesus came to silence these lies. Their collision has ignited a deadly war of words.

Jesus dealt the decisive blow when he hung on the cross, and said, “It is finished!” Words enough! We follow up and enforce that victory when we borrow Jesus’ words that scatter the devils and repair the damage they have wrought.

When all else fails – and all else will – we borrow Jesus’ words.

Our enemies attack on nine fronts. We meet and defeat them with borrowed words. Jesus fought here ahead of us. He has faced down and turned back every assault. As followers of Jesus we do the same by simply leveraging what Jesus said in the moment we face battles of our own.

We do not presume to be like Jesus. Only Jesus is Jesus. We speak Jesus’ words “in Jesus’ name” which means “on Jesus’ behalf.” The question is not “What would Jesus do?” but “What is Jesus doing?” and “How can I join him?” Our commission is simple: say what Jesus said! That’s our assignment. For Jesus’ words in our mouths are as Jesus’ words in his.

We will not have the luxury of learning war in theory. Our training comes on the front lines, where we work, live, go to school, and buy our groceries. There we must execute… or be executed.

We are in battle, in a hell of war that is now on earth as it was in heaven. It is a war that will end all wars, a conflict where words always become flesh. So for God’s sake, say something! But choose your words ever so carefully!

In the beginning was the Word; in the end will be the Word. And when all is said and done, all will be done when all is said!