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Introduction
In Matthew 22, one of the Pharisees, “an expert in the Law,” asked Jesus the following question:
Jesus replied:
Jesus did not simply state that these are the two greatest commandments, but we also read that the are related to one another – “the second is like (the first).” In the book of 1 John the link between the love of God and the love of our neighbors is stated much more pointedly:
To paraphrase the verse above, how can we truly love a God who we cannot see, when we cannot even love our neighbors who we see everyday? So, although the command to love God is the “first and greatest,” our love for our neighbors is how we express our love for God. We must remember that in Matthew 25, when Jesus described the day of judgment, the strength of our relationship with Jesus was said to be determined based on our treatment of one another (i.e., feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, visiting prisoners, etc.). As a matter of fact, throughout the New Testament love for our neighbors is promoted as the pinnacle of Christian teaching:
Galatians 5:14: The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
1 Peter 4:8: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers all sins.
2 John 1:5-6: …I am not writing you a new command but one we have heard from the beginning. I ask that we love one another… As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
The purpose of this article is to examine the command to love our neighbors. We will begin by studying the teachings and examples of Jesus and the Apostles. Then we will examine modern day examples of courageous Christians who have chosen to show this love towards others in the most dangerous and volatile situations. Through this, we will discover what this love requires of Christians, and how we can express this love not only in our individual daily lives, but also in our vengeful, violent world.
Jesus And The Love Of Enemies
The Sermon On The Mount
In the Sermon on the Mount found in the book of Matthew (and in parallel passages in Luke), Jesus spoke about our love and treatment of one another, especially our enemies. Below are a few excerpts:
Luke 6:27-28: …Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Luke 6:32-36: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even “sinners” love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even “sinners” do that… But love your enemies, do good to them... Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
In the verse directly above, Jesus stated the obvious: “even sinners love those who love them.” There is nothing special about that. To the contrary, Jesus promoted a greater love, a love that extends to everyone unconditionally, even our enemies. This love is a reflection of God’s love: “(God) is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked,” so we must be kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. God shows mercy towards his enemies, so we must show mercy towards our enemies. God loves his enemies, so we must love our enemies.
“Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth” was the method of retribution under the Mosaic Law, found in several passages from the Old Testament. The relationship between the Old Testament’s “eye for eye” retribution and Jesus’ teachings concerning love for our enemies is examined specifically in another article (“Jesus Abolished the Old Testament's 'Eye for an Eye'”), but for our purposes in this article, we will assume that Jesus had something new in mind simply from the language used: “You have heard… But I tell you…” So, instead of responding “eye for eye,” how should we respond to “an evil person”?
From the passage above we read that followers of Jesus should not resist evil people; they should turn their cheeks to violent aggressors. Many may interject at this point and argue that Jesus did not intend for this to be interpreted literally. Honestly, after struggling with this concept for some time, I must admit that I agree. As this article progresses we will see that when Jesus and the Apostles were faced with violence and persecution, they did not literally turn their cheeks to accept more abuse. Instead, we can say that they figuratively turned the other cheek; they refused to retaliate; they refused to repay “eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” To the contrary, they aggressively took actions to not only speak the Gospel of peace in the face of violence, but also to show their attackers radical, unconditional love.
Jesus’ Arrest And Crucifixion
As for Jesus’ response to violent aggressors, we will examine his actions during his arrest and crucifixion. When Judas Iscariot arrived at Gethsemane, intending to betray Jesus and turn him over to the authorities, Peter attempted to defend him by reaching for a sword and striking the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. We can certainly sympathize with Peter’s motives; he thought this was a “just” use of violence. Jesus, an innocent man, was about to be wrongly arrested and ultimately put to death. Peter was only attempting to defend his friend’s life. Jesus, however, rebuked Peter:
Jesus turned towards the servant and miraculously healed the wound Peter inflicted. Jesus then turned his attention back towards Peter:
We have to look no further than our local news channels to see the truth in these words. The cycle of violence is so pervasive throughout our world. Jesus wanted to end this. They came with swords to kill Jesus, and Peter tried to kill them with a sword of his own. Jesus, however, pulled Peter out of this cycle, and Peter apparently learned his lesson because decades later he wrote:
Later at his trial before Pilate, Jesus made a comment which further explains his condemnation of Peter’s defensive violence:
Certainly Jesus’ kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world, but how are they different? Well, in the passage above, Jesus said they are different for one main reason: his servants do not fight! If his kingdom was of this world, then his servants would fight. If his kingdom was of this world, then his servants would take part in the cycle of violence mentioned above, the cycle Peter misguidedly took part in. We are not servants of the kingdoms of this world, however, but servants of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, we must give up the sword, we must not fight, we must not continue to further the cycle of violence.
At this point, some may suggest that Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion was a fulfillment of prophecy, and this is why his servants could not defend him. Certainly much is mentioned throughout the Gospels concerning Jesus’ death as a fulfillment of prophecy. It must be noted, however, that when Jesus was before Pilate explaining the reason why his servants do not fight, nothing about fulfilling prophecy is mentioned. Jesus simply stated that his kingdom is different than the kingdoms of this world and that his servants do not fight. Jesus did not say that his servants did not fight in this one particular instance. He said that his servants do not fight in general. Jesus specifically forbade Peter from using the sword, but his wording was universal:
As we saw above, when Peter later wrote about Jesus’ arrest, he did not say that Jesus was simply fulfilling prophecy, but that he was also setting an example for us:
In fact, the notion that Jesus set an example for his followers is found throughout the New Testament:
1 John 2:6: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus lived.
1 Corinthians 11:1: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Philippians 2:5,8: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus… who humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!
In the Gospel of John, Jesus instructed his followers to love like he loves:
John 15:12: My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.
This is the unconditional love Jesus showed those who came to arrest him when he saved them from Peter’s well-intentioned attack. This is the love Jesus showed those who crucified him when he cried out from the cross:
The Apostles And The Love Of Enemies
Love One Another
From the Sermon on the Mount above we learned that we should love everyone unconditionally, even our enemies, because God also loves everyone unconditionally. In the books of 1 and 2 John this theme is expanded in great detail:
1 John 4:7-12: …let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. …since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:15-20: …We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us… We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
From the verses above we learn what the source of this unconditional love is; in fact, we get a glimpse into the very nature of God – “God is love.” John tells us to “love on another, for love comes from God.” Even though our enemies may not love us, we are to love them first, just as God has shown us love while we were still in rebellion against him: “we love because he first loved us.” In fact, loving others is how we show our love for God: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar.” “God is love,” and when we “live in love” we “live in God,” and God’s “love is made complete among us.”
Similar to John, Paul also wrote much about the nature of love:
Col. 3:12-14: …clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience... forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Gal. 5:6: …The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
1 Cor. 13:1-2: …if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
Galatians 5:14: The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Paul wrote that the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” summarizes the entirety of God’s law. In fact, we “fulfill the law” when we love one another. Galatians 5:6 tells us that it is through love that we express our faith in God. Paul went so far as to declare that regardless of how much faith he possesses, if he does not have love, he is “nothing.”
Love Your Enemies
Lest anyone mistakenly think that the Apostles only wrote about a general “love,” a look through the New Testament will reveal that they extended this love even to the most violent and hateful of enemies. In Acts 8:1 we are told that a “great persecution broke out against the church.” During the course of the book of Acts we read of persecution from mobs, religious authorities, and governmental authorities. Most of the Apostles met a martyr’s death, but instead of repaying “eye for eye,” they showed love towards their enemies. Following the example Jesus set, as Stephen was being stoned to death, he fell to his knees and cried out:
Likewise, the rest of the Apostles courageously followed Jesus’ example and preached the Gospel of peace in the face of violence while showing their attackers radical, unconditional love:
Romans 12:17-21: Do not repay anyone evil for evil… live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink…” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
James 1:20: The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:9: God did not appoint us to wrath…
2 Timothy 2:24: The servant of the Lord must not fight; instead, he must show his gentleness to everyone…
1 Thessalonians 5:15: Make sure that nobody pays back evil for evil, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
1 Peter 3:9-11: Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing …turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it…
1 Corinthians 4:11-13: To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. …When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly.
“What Would You Do If Someone Attacked Your Family?”
How To Respond To An Attacker
Pacifists often hear the question, “What would you do if someone attacked your family?” To be certain, this is a fair question. Most people in general, whether or not they consider themselves Christian, have an innate desire to protect their loved ones. We can spend all day reading through the Bible and studying the passages addressing the love of enemies, but at the end of the day, we all want to protect and defend the innocent, especially the innocent within our own families. This is a legitimate concern, and one that cannot be ignored. Edmund Burke wrote that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” I agree whole-heartedly. Personally, I want nothing to do with a pacifism that would allow innocents to be harmed with no intervention. We will now attempt as best we can to apply the Biblical principles examined above to the hypothetical question: “What would you do if someone attacked your family?” After that, this article will take a slight detour and look at some personal testimonies from people who have found themselves in such situations.
In the paragraph above we stated that most people in general have an innate desire to protect their loved ones. In the book of Luke, Jesus himself recognized this, but called his followers to a greater love, a love which extends to everyone unconditionally, even our enemies:
Certainly everyone has an innate desire to protect their loved ones, but as Jesus asked, “what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them.” There is nothing special about loving those who love you. Although such sentiment may be embedded within our nature, there is no excuse for Christians to succumb to this nature:
As we have seen above, Jesus promoted a greater love, a love that extends to everyone unconditionally, even our enemies. If ever faced with the dreadful task of protecting our family from an attacker, the follower of Jesus must act out of love for all parties involved. We must extend this love not only to our families, but to our enemies as well. Just because we are undoubtedly closer to our family members than any supposed attacker, this must not be used as an excuse to ignore our love for the attacker. Christians must refuse to view any situation as one in which we are forced to show love towards either our families or attackers, but not both. In Romans 12, Paul stated that Christians should not be “overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Christians must have faith in the love which Jesus promoted, the power of this love, and its ability to overcome evil. Showing love and gentleness to an attacker could catch him off guard and disarm him emotionally. A loving gesture, some kind words, and a concern for an attacker’s welfare could soften his tough exterior and touch his heart. If the opportunity presented itself, there is always the possibility of using a loving restraining force. While trying these tactics, a Christian could position himself in between the attacker and his family, putting himself in harms way while providing his family the opportunity to flee. Although it is good to think out these possibilities, Christians should not have to script out our responses in such situations because we should genuinely love our enemies and in the moment we should have an innate desire to search for nonviolent solutions to whatever predicament we may find ourselves in.
Below we will examine some personal testimonies of success from people who have lovingly responded to violent attackers – but before we get to those, at this point, skeptics may begin to assert that such thinking is naive. Please remember that Christians believe in a savior who was God in the flesh, born of a virgin, who went around healing the sick and raising the dead, who was crucified and resurrected three days later. Followers of Jesus are called upon to believe in the impossible. Paul himself admitted in 1 Corinthians 1:18,23 that the Gospel of Jesus seems like “foolishness” to many. Above we looked at Romans 12, where Paul instructed us to “overcome evil with good.” I believe in what Paul wrote, I believe it is possible to overcome evil with good, but we must have faith in the teachings of Jesus no matter how “naïve” they may seem. In Matthew 21:21, Jesus said that if we have enough faith we could move mountains, a feat which is seemingly impossible. Peacefully resolving an attack on our family may also seem like an impossible task, but if we have faith in the teachings of Jesus we can show love towards our enemies while protecting our families. With faith in the teachings of Jesus, we can overcome evil with good.
Personal Testimonies
When pacifists are challenged with hypothetical situations concerning their families being attacked, the assumption is that if we respond with violence, we would be likely to save them, and if we choose non-violence, we are handing our loved ones over to the attacker. Truth be told, such volatile situations are difficult, whether we respond non-violently or violently. When an attacker prepares for an attack, they have time to do just that – prepare. Christians must realize that if their families are ever confronted by an attacker, the attacker will not only have the advantage of surprise, but they also will have had the opportunity to arm themselves in advance. If one were to respond violently towards such an attacker, there is no guarantee of success. On the other hand, non-violence does not consist of giving up and allowing the attacker to have their way. As we have seen above, Christian non-violence expresses itself through love and concern for all parties involved. Non-violence may not always be successful, but then again, neither is violence. Non-violence can be successful, however, and below we will read through some amazing and encouraging testimonies from people who have found themselves in such awful situations.
Testimony
“In the early days of the Simple Way, a young woman from Brazil named Lydia was living in the community. She was petite, and, like many of the women in our community, she was a fireball – sassy, bold, somehow able to be both gentle and direct. One day as she was traveling on the train, a fellow sat down next to her and pulled a knife. ‘Listen carefully,’ he said, ‘here’s what’s gonna happen. You are going to hand me your bag, get off at the next station, and not say a word.’ She looked at him unflinchingly. ‘My name is Lydia,’ she said winsomely, firmly, ‘and I am from Brazil.’ The man stared at her blankly, taken aback. She continued, ‘My bag is filled with photos and addresses of my family and those mean a lot to me but will do you no good. I’d imagine what you want is money. There is no money in my bag. However, I have some money in my pocket, so here’s what we’ll do. I’ll get out my money, give you twenty dollars, you get off at the next station, and we won’t say a word.’ And it worked.” (Jesus for President, 269)
Testimony
“I was awakened late one night several years ago by a man kicking open the door to my bedroom. The house was empty. The phone was downstairs. He was somewhat verbally abusive as he walked over to my bed. I could not find his eyes in the darkness but could see the outline of his form. As I lay there, feeling a fear and vulnerability I had never before experienced, several thoughts rushed through my head: First, the uselessness of screaming. Second, the fallacy of thinking safety depends on having a gun hidden under one’s pillow. Somehow I could not imagine this man standing patiently while I reached under my pillow for my gun.”
“I believe the third thought saved my life. I realized with some clarity that either he and I made it through this situation safely – together – or we would both be damaged. Our safety was connected… That thought disarmed me… I found myself acting out of concern for the safety of us both, reacting with firmness but with little hostility in my voice.”
“I asked him what time it was. He answered. That was a good sign. I commented that his watch and the clock on my night table had different times. His said 2:30, mine said 2:45. I had just set mine. I hoped his watch wasn’t broken. When had he last set it? He answered. I answered. The time seemed endless. When the atmosphere began to calm a little, I asked him how he had gotten into the house. He’d broken through the glass in the back door. I told him that presented me with a problem: I did not have the money to buy new glass. He talked about some financial difficulties of his own.”
“We talked until we were no longer strangers and I felt safe to ask him to leave. He didn’t want to; he said he had no place to go. Knowing I did not have the physical power to force him out, I told him firmly but respectfully, as equal to equal, that I would give him a clean set of sheets, but he would have to make his own bed downstairs. He went downstairs, and I sat up in bed, wide awake and shaking for the rest of the night. The next morning we ate breakfast together and he left.”
“Several things happened that night. I allowed someone of whom I was afraid to become human to me, and as a result I reacted in a surprisingly human way to him. That caught him off guard. Apparently his scenario had not included a social visit, and it took him a few minutes to regain his sense of balance. By that time the vibes were all wrong for violence. Whatever had been motivating him was sidetracked, and he changed his mind.” (What Would You Do?, 122-123)
Testimony
“In September of 1994, Cindy Hartman entered her home in Conway, Arkansas, where she encountered a burglar. After he ripped the phone cord out of the wall, he demanded that she go into a closet. Hartman fell to her knees, requesting that she might pray for him. And she did, and she said to the intruder: “I want you to know that God loves you and I forgive you.” In response, the burglar actually extended an apology, and to an accomplice waiting in a pickup truck outside, yelled, “We’ve got to unload all of this. This is a Christian home and a Christian family. We can’t do this to them.” After unloading the furniture from the truck, returning it to the home, the burglar removed the bullets from his gun, gave Hartman the gun, and left.” (Mere Discipleship, 156)
Testimony
“Maggie Harris, jogging through a city park at dusk, suddenly came face-to-face with a large man who had stepped out, blocking her path. She was terrified when he grabbed her arm. Just then she saw an old man walking his dog on a path across the park. She held back an impulse to call for help when she realized that the old man would likely get hurt if he tried to assist her. But this momentary change of focus toward the safety of the old man broke the paralysis of her fear. With new courage Maggie jerked loose from the man’s hold, grasped his arm, and said, ‘Let’s go over here and talk.’ She led him to a less-secluded spot. After she expressed concern that he might be having some kind of trouble, he began to share about his plight and despair. Later he walked her home without harming her, thinking her for being his friend.” (What Would You Do?, 130)
Testimony
“One evening when he was in Hamburg, Germany attending a conference, Jonathan Roth boarded a commuter train and dozed as it crossed town. He was awakened by the sounds of four teenagers jeering an old man in rags. They sprayed the man with beer and soon began to attack him, kicking him with heavy boots and punching him in the face. Jonathan, a foreigner, a Christian, and a pacifist with no training in martial arts, looked on powerlessly as the violence became a merciless beating. Then, whispering a prayer for help, he sprang to his feet and ran to the fallen man. Pushing between the teenagers, he said in his best German, ‘Hans! How are you? It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. Come, sit with me, Hans. We have so much to catch up on.’ In the sudden silence, the old man rose and followed him to the other end of the car, and slowly began to answer Roth’s questions. The teens looked on, talked among themselves, and at the next stop, got off the train. ‘Hans,’ murmuring thanks, left soon after.” (Dissident Discipleship, 128)
Testimony
“I heard of a case in which a godly woman was about to be sexually assaulted. Just as she was being pinned to the ground with a knife to her throat, out of nowhere she said to her attacker, ‘Your mother forgives you.’ She had no conscious idea where the statement came from. What she didn’t know was that the attacker’s violent aggression toward women was rooted in a heinous thing he had done as a teenager to his now deceased mother. The statement shocked the man and quickly reduced him to a sobbing little boy. The woman seized the opportunity to make an escape and call the police who quickly apprehended the man in the park where the attack took place. He was still there, sobbing. The man later credited the woman’s inspired statement with being instrumental in him eventually turning his life over to Christ.” (The Myth of a Christian Nation, 165-166)
Testimony
“In a bus shelter in a deserted section of Cleveland, Joe and Peter were approached by two men with guns, demanding their money. Joe looked at the sky behind the attackers and yelled, ‘Wow, look! Here they come!’ Both began to act crazy. The robbers got rattled and confused and ran away.” (What Would You Do?, 132-133)
Testimony
“An older woman was walking down a city street carrying two large shopping bags. Two men came up behind her and overtook her on both sides. She knew what they were planning, but she was far from any residence or person she knew. Before they got close enough to touch her or say anything, she turned and grinned at each of them, thrust her packages into their arms, and told them how relieved she felt now that they had come along. ‘I was rather nervous on this street,’ she said, ‘and these bags are so heavy. Would you help me?’ Instinctively, the men took the packages, and the three walked along together as the woman cheerily thanked them and told them how kind they were to help.” (What Would You Do?, 130-131)
Testimony
“In the early 1990s, gang violence erupted in Boyle Heights, a section of East Los Angeles. Eight gangs were in conflict in the parish around the Dolores Mission Catholic Church. Killings and injuries happened daily. A group of women who met for prayer… began a procession from one barrio to another. They brought food, guitars, and love. As they ate chips and salsa and drank Cokes with gang members, they began to sing… The gang members were disoriented, baffled; the war zones were silent. Each night the mothers walked. By nonviolently intruding and intervening they ‘broke the rules of war.’ The old script of retaliation and escalating violence was challenged and changed. It is no accident that the women christened their nighttime journeys ‘love walks.’ As the relationships between the women and the gang members grew, the kids told their stories. Anguish over the lack of jobs; anger at police brutality; rage over the hopelessness of poverty. Together they developed a tortilla factory, a bakery, a child-care center, a job-training program, a class on conflict-resolution techniques, a school for further learning, a neighborhood group to monitor and report police misbehavior, and more.” (Dissident Discipleship, 125-126)
Testimony
“One time Kassim and I were walking to the post office, a walk I take several times a week. We were walking down a narrow side street, and some teenage guys started following us… They started calling out some names, throwing rocks and sticks, trying to stir up trouble. It’s always hard on the spot like that to know what Jesus would do. I told Kassim, ‘Let’s go say hi.’ He looked at me skeptically. We turned back and walked toward them, knowing full well that if we had run, we probably would have made it to the post office. ‘Hey, I’m Shane. And this is my friend Kassim. We live around the corner,’ I said with my hand out. They weren’t really sure what to do with that. A couple of them shook my hand and introduced themselves. Others snickered. One or two refused the handshake. We said, ‘Nice to meet you guys,’ and headed back on our walk. With the wind taken out of their sails a bit, they regrouped and continued to build momentum toward a brawl. They ran after us, throwing some rocks and bottles, and I noticed two of them now carried broomsticks from the trash. We picked up the pace a bit, and then I looked at Kassim and said, ‘No, don’t run.’ We turned back, and before we knew it, one of them had clocked Kassim on the side of the head with a stick. I said firmly, ‘Why would you do that? We haven’t done anything to hurt you.’ They laughed. Then they started hitting me with a broomstick until it broke over my back. At this point I decided to bust out a can of holy anger. I looked them in the eyes and said as forcefully as I could, “You are created in the image of God… every single one of you. And you were made for something better than this. Kassim and I are followers of Jesus and we do not fight, but we will love you no matter what you do to us.’ That wasn’t exactly what they expected or hoped for. They looked at each other, startled a bit. For the first time they were quiet. And then they scurried off in every direction… I asked Kassim what he thought would have happened if he had chosen to fight. ‘It would have been ugly,’ he said. ‘They might have been bloody and we probably would have been real bloody.’ No one would have left any nicer, that was for sure. I asked Kassim if he thought Jesus was happy with how we acted. He thought about it and nodded with a smile. I told him that, honestly, I wasn’t sure what Jesus would have done if he were in our place, but there are two things I know Jesus would not have done. He would not have fought. And he would not have run. I thought that Jesus was happy with how we acted, that we were good representatives, good witnesses of Christ to them. Not only did we refuse to hit, but we refused to hate. Kassim agreed, and then we prayed for them together. And finally, as he was leaving, Kassim reminded me that each of those boys had to go to bed thinking about what they did that day, and so did we.” (Jesus for President, 264-266)
National And International Non-Violence
Now that we have taken a good look at personal non-violence, both scripturally and in practice, now we will take it one step further. Reading through the stories above, some may concede that non-violence is appropriate for personal situations, but will then assert that such non-violence is not suitable for national and international conflict. To support this idea, people usually refer to the examples of violence in the Old Testament or Paul’s passage in Romans 13 regarding the role of the governmental authorities. To be sure, we do have separate articles addressing these two concerns individually ("Jesus Abolished the Old Testament's 'Eye for an Eye'"; "Romans 13, 1 Peter, and the Proper Relationship Between the Christian and the State"
). Not wanting to get sidetracked from the current discussion, however, I’ll ask the reader to check out those articles at another time. At this time, I will move forward with the subject at hand.
Let’s state the obvious: right is right; wrong is wrong; violence is violence. Above we saw that on a personal level we must love our enemies and do good things for them, and through this we demonstrate our love for God. Figuratively speaking, when struck we are to “turn the other cheek.” If I, personally speaking, should show love towards my enemies (and certainly shouldn’t kill them!), why is it acceptable for me to kill them if the state orders me to? Many might answer by claiming that we are citizens of two kingdoms, and as citizens of whatever government we live under, we must obey their demands. In response, let me ask this: If the state were to order me to bow down and worship some false idol, would I be obligated to do so? Of course not! It is wrong for me personally to worship false gods, and even if the state were to order me to do so, my allegiance would still belong to God – I worship him alone! Likewise, suppose a country is experiencing problems due to population growth, and in response, the state were to order women to obtain abortions. If you were a pro-life Christian who personally opposed abortions, would you succumb to such a law merely due to the state’s demands? I sure hope not!
When Jesus said “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person,” he wasn’t only condemning personal retaliation. In fact, he wasn’t condemning personal retaliation at all, but specifically governmental retaliation. It must be noted that even the Mosaic Law did not allow personal retaliation. In the Old Testament we learn that an individual, to be in compliance with the Law, was called upon to report any injury to the authorities, who would then administer punishment. Governmental retaliation was the subject under consideration in Jesus statement concerning “eye for eye” retaliation. Furthermore, three verses later Jesus said, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” This is a specific reference to how one should act in the face of governmental persecution. Remember that the Jews were an occupied people subject to the Roman Empire. Roman soldiers traveling through occupied territories legally had the authority to order a citizen to drop what he was doing and carry the soldier’s bags for one mile – but one mile only. Jesus’ teaching here is in no way limited to personal conflict. Jesus is giving advice to an occupied people who were tempted everyday with the thought of violently revolting against the Roman Empire (and several decades later they did!). If we are being honest with ourselves, we cannot limit Jesus’ teachings and say they don’t matter when it comes to national or international political issues.
Many are pessimistic, and assert that the nations of this world will never demonstrate this unconditional love which Jesus promoted. Below we will look at specific examples of whole nations which have lived out this unconditional love of enemies, even in the face of violent aggression. These examples aside, even if the nations of the world were too violent and vengeful to love their enemies, why should this deter the Christian church? With regards to most other issues, Christians do not look at the nations of the world to see if we, as a church, should live out the teachings of Jesus. Whether we are discussing abortion, sexual purity, charity, honesty, or any other issue you might think of, Christians are called upon to live out their beliefs on these issues regardless of whether or not the world follows this path. In fact, if we take an honest look at our society today, we must admit that the world operates in a very un-Christian manner in most aspects of life, the treatment of enemies being just one example. It is true that Jesus predicted that wars would continue until the end of this world, but he also predicted that faith in him would continually diminish until his return – the Christian church should work to curtail both of these predictions. We must not wait until the world is ready to follow Jesus before we decide to do so.
To be clear, Christians should not carelessly sit and watch while an innocent nation suffers at the hands of a ruthless aggressor. In every Christian, and certainly in every human being to some extent or another, lies an innate desire for justice. We must be careful not to let this desire for justice lead us down the wrong path. James defined “true justice” as follows:
As stated above, Christians should not passively do nothing in the face of aggression, but instead should sow seeds of peace, the harvest of which will bring “true justice.” Instead of passivity, Christians should wage war, only a different kind of war:
Below we will examine examples of nations which have rejected violence and instead have waged the type of war Paul described above, showing unconditional love towards the most violent of enemies while protecting the innocent.
What About Hitler?
Pacifists of all stripes are often asked the question, “What about Hitler?” Adolf Hitler and the holocaust embody for most the worst evil imaginable, and this is certainly understandable. Likewise, many assume that violence was the only resource available to stop Hitler. As the stories below will reveal, this is a false assumption. The fact of the matter is that non-violence against the Nazis proved to be successful in nations all across Europe, saving the lives of many innocent Jews.
Denmark offers us the most impressive and encouraging example of non-violent resistance to the Nazis. When German officials first ordered all Jews in Denmark to display their identity by wearing yellow armbands depicting the Star of David, the king of Denmark himself was the first to put on the armband. Following his example, people all over Denmark also began to where the armband. Soon, the yellow Star of David armband could be seen everywhere, letting the Nazis know that the Danish people stood side-by-side with the Jews. The entire nation of Denmark, king, government, and people, boldly and non-violently condemned, protested, and resisted the anti-Semitic Nazi policies. Danes defied Nazi orders, assisting Jewish refugees and refusing to deport them back to Germany. The workers of Denmark refused to repair German ships in Danish shipyards. Danish protests against the Germans were so strong that German officials were forced to impose martial law. There was one problem with this martial law, however. German officials in Denmark, touched by the example of the Danish people, had a change of heart. Through subversive tactics, these German officials delayed and in some cases prevented the implementation of Nazi policies, allowing the mass deportation of Danish Jews to Sweden, which offered the Jews asylum and protection. Over 6,500 Danish Jews successfully escaped to Sweden, leaving only hundreds left hiding in Denmark, assisted by the friendly Danes. When Adolf Eichmann, “the architect of the holocaust,” implemented “the final solution” – the mass deportation of the Jews to extermination camps – he realized that the Danes would not allow this and the German officials in Denmark would not cooperate. German officials in Denmark only began to cooperate when Eichmann made a special concession, allowing the Jews in Denmark to be deported to Theresienstadt, a camp exclusively designated for privileged Jews. The Jews at Theresienstadt lived under relatively good conditions, with only 48 dying during their stay at the camp, mostly due to natural causes. Denmark’s non-violent resistance to the Nazi’s was so successful that Eichmann later was forced to admit that their persecution of the Jews in Denmark was a complete failure.
This non-violent resistance against Hitler and the Nazis was not confined to Denmark. In Holland, a rail workers strike halted traffic through the country from late 1944 until the end of the holocaust in 1945. Although the people of Holland suffer greatly due to lack of heat and food supplies, this greatly hindered the persecution and deportation of Jews. Similar actions from the Norway people prevented Hitler’s representative, Vidkun Quisling, from imposing his desire for a fascist state on the country. The people of Norway also led an underground movement to help over 900 Jews escape to Sweden. Only six of Finland’s Jewish population were sent to death camps, the rest were successfully protected through non-military efforts. A large number of Italian Jews survived because governmental officials and citizens alike subversively disrupted German efforts in the country. The wives of imprisoned male Jews in Berlin peacefully protested during the war, successfully securing the release of their husbands. Lastly, in Bulgaria, the Orthodox Bishop Kiril told Nazi officials that he would lead a campaign of civil disobedience if they tried to deport Bulgarian Jews. A large portion of the Bulgarian citizenry followed Kiril’s bold and courageous example by protesting and resisting Nazi orders. Citizens successfully hid Jews in Bulgarian homes throughout the country, and Christian ministers helped Jews evade arrest by “converting” them to Christianity, all parties knowing from the beginning that the vows were meaningless. These efforts were so successful that virtually all Bulgarian Jews were saved from the Nazi extermination camps. (credit for the above information concerning non-violent resistance to the Nazis goes to Walter Wink, The Powers That Be; and Thomas Merton, Passion For Peace)
Other Examples Of National And International Non-Violence
We can find examples of this type of non-violent resistance throughout history and all over the globe. Walter Wink described the Philippine uprising in 1986 that led to the fall of the brutal dictator Marcos:
“Through the non-violent community, Hildegard and Jean Goss-Mayr and Richard Deats were brought in to train trainers in non-violence. In little more than a year, these trainers and others taught a half million poll watchers nonviolent means to protect the ballots from theft by the henchmen of the dictator Marcos. These poll watchers then formed the nucleus of the street demonstrations that stopped tank columns with their own bodies” (Walter Wink, The Powers That Be, 121).
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa provides us with a beautiful example of forgiveness on the national level. Led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African government responded to the evil of apartheid by offering forgiveness: anyone guilty of a crime during the apartheid era were offered forgiveness and an official pardon, so long as they publicly acknowledged their crimes and faced the victims. Through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, South Africa saw blacks and whites come together, admitting wrong-doings and offering forgiveness. A nation that was literally torn apart racially and socially was once again unified, not because one half “won” a civil war, but through the power of forgiveness.
The revolutions of 1989 against the Soviet Union provide us with another great example of non-violent resistance. Again, we turn to Walter Wink to describe these non-violent revolutions:
“In 1989 alone, thirteen nations comprising 1.7 billion people – over thirty-two percent of humanity – experienced nonviolent revolutions… and they were completely peaceful (on the part of the protesters) in every case but Romania and parts of the southern U.S.S.R.” (Walter Wink, The Powers That Be, 116-117).
Specifically describing Lithuania’s revolution against the Soviet Union, Wink wrote:
“Lithuania provides a remarkable case of successful nonviolent national defense. Lithuanians had fought a guerrilla war against the Soviets until 1952, expecting western aid that never came. They lost 50,000 lives, and 400,000 Lithuanians were sent to Siberia. ‘After the deportations and the night of our genocide,’ one Lithuanian remarked, ‘our people realized that armed struggle was not the way. We needed to rely on patience and nonviolence. At that point, the invisible nonviolent struggle began.’ Despite the threat of Soviet military force, leaders from the top down, including the Catholic church, urged the people to remain nonviolent and to maintain a spirit of love… The Lithuanian Department of Defense went some distance in committing itself to a policy of nonviolent national defense against the Soviet Union, and the faculty of the Police Academy explored nonviolence with Captain Charles Alphin… who teaches nonviolence to police forces. Peace activists Gene Sharp, Richard Deats, and Robert L. Holmes actively consulted with the Lithuanian government as it raced against time to devise a comprehensive nonviolent national defense – a defense that worked when in 1991 the three Baltic states won their independence (Walter Wink, The Powers That Be, 151).
Lastly, in the book Jesus for President, Shane Claiborne tells the story of a non-violent, citizen-led police force that organized on the crime-filled streets of Chicago when the city’s police forces were not effective.
“A few years back, our friends in Chicago were having some hard times. On the one hand, crime was out of control. Cars were being stolen, drugs were everywhere, and street violence had trapped the neighborhood in fear. The police were not very helpful. They had become notorious for misconduct, racism, and brutality. So our friends at Lawndale Community Church began praying and conspiring. They decided to put some flesh on their prayers and to organize their own security team. There’s an amazing group of folks in Lawndale called Hope House – men in recovery from substance addictions, men who are familiar with the streets and with the uglier side of police violence. They organized themselves, got some bright security vests, and stationed themselves on the street corners, where they would work shifts throughout the night. With a little creativity and courage, and with fresh eyes and prayerful hearts on every corner, the ugliness of the streets and of the police was neutralized. Love, especially when it’s organized on every corner, really can drive out fear” (Shane Claiborne, Jesus for President, 253).
Analysis Of National And International Non-Violence
Our look at successful national and international non-violence above didn’t even begin to examine well-known examples such as Gandhi in India and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the United States. Nor have we yet given credit to organizations such as the Nonviolent Peace Force and the Christian Peacemaker Teams. Founded in 2002 and 1987, respectively, these organizations and others like them have been successfully providing a non-violent presence in war-torn areas around the world.
Forgetting all of these successfully examples of non-violence for a moment, we must recognize the heart of the issue. When someone asks a pacifist the question, “What should we have done about Hitler?”, the “we” referred to isn’t “we” the Christian church, but “we” Americans (or whatever nation you happen to live in). “What should the American government and the American military have done about Hitler?” That is the real question being asked, and it reveals the true allegiance of most Christians. A better question is this: What should the Christian church, the international body of Christ, have done about Hitler? Above we saw what this international church did do in nations such as Denmark, Bulgaria, Holland, Finland, Italy, and Norway. Furthermore, the Christian church in Germany should not have supported and obeyed Hitler’s orders. If the international church would have consistently taught the unconditional love of Jesus which extends to everyone, including the Jews, in the centuries before World War II, the Holocaust would have been very unlikely. Likewise, if the church had lived a lifestyle which did not allow for the killing of enemies, both World Wars would have been inconceivable in predominantly Christian Europe. Sadly, the church has not taught nor lived out this love. Instead, the church for centuries has supported and given its blessing to government sanctioned violence and warfare, and then we act surprised when we are faced with similar violence. Remember Jesus’ warning to Peter:
Suffering And Persecution
Jesus Warned Of Suffering And Persecution
Regardless of the success of such non-violence examined above, just as violence doesn’t always work (in every war there is at least one “loser”), non-violence will not always have successful results. In these times, Christians might be forced to face suffering and persecution. In fact, Jesus predicted this:
Mark 13:9-13: You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them… All men will hate you because of me...
John 15:18-20: If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world… That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: “No servant is greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also…
John 16:2-4: They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you…
These warnings, although seemingly bleak, are accompanied by a message of hope:
Don’t Be Afraid
Throughout the scriptures, both Old and New Testament, we are told not to fear any suffering or persecution we are faced with:
Luke 12:4: …do not be afraid of those who can kill the body, but after that can do no more.
Hebrews 2:15: Jesus freed those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Psalm 118:6: The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
1 John 4:18: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Above we read that we should not “fret” when evil men (see our discussion concerning Hitler above) “carry out their wicked schemes.” If we retaliate with “anger” and “wrath,” this only leads to more evil. Jesus has set us free from our “slavery” to the “fear of death.” “Perfect love,” the unconditional love we have been discussing throughout this article, “drives out fear.” Jesus’ resurrection and his promises of eternal life allow us to be less concerned with our earthly lives, and instead focus on showing our enemies love and forgiveness, regardless of the consequences.
Glory In Suffering
Although suffering is not something that Christians should seek out, we must be able to recognize the divine providence at hand when we are forced to suffer at the hands of our enemies. Peter, the disciple Jesus rebuked for trying to violently defend him from being arrested, wrote much about non-violent unconditional love for enemies and the suffering that might result from living out this love:
1 Peter 3:13-18: …if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed… It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for us…
1 Peter 4:1: Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.
1 Peter 4:13-19: …Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ… If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed… If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal... However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name… So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
If we “suffer for doing good,” it is “commendable before God.” If we “suffer for what is right,” we “are blessed.” It is interesting to note that all four passages above link the suffering Christians endure with following the non-violent example of Jesus. A commitment to show love towards our enemies, even if it results in our own suffering, displays to the world the strength of this love even further. In parable form, Jesus spoke of the glory in suffering in John 12:
When our non-violent resistance has failed, when our efforts to change our enemies through love has failed, when we are faced with suffering and persecution, we must remember what Joseph said to his enemies in Genesis 50:
Conclusion: Loving God, Loving Our Neighbors & Loving Our Enemies
We began this article by examining what Jesus referred to as the two greatest commandments: loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself. We saw that these two commands are connected in nature; Christians demonstrate our love for God through our love for our neighbors. We discussed the nature of this love – unconditional and extended towards everyone, even our enemies. We read through the New Testament, seeing how Jesus and the Apostles treated their enemies. In Romans 12 Paul wrote that Christians should not repay evil for evil, but should “overcome evil with good.” Throughout this article we have read through many modern-day examples of Christians who have courageously and successfully “overcome evil with good” – they resisted even the worst of enemies (even Hitler!) with the unconditional love of Christ. In conclusion, we truly believe that by following the example of Jesus and committing our lives to demonstrating this unconditional love to our neighbors, even our enemies, we will serve as an effective witness for Jesus, and we will live out the two greatest commandments: loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Written by Matthew J. Truitt, Harmless As Doves Ministries
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