Does nonviolence work?
I had someone drop in our office today to ask about the
Mennonites – who are they and what do they believe in? We had a good conversation and we talked
quite a bit about the Mennonites practice of nonviolence and peacemaking. A question that was raised, more implicitly than
explicitly was “does nonviolence work?”
My immediate response was:
“Not always, perhaps not even in many situations, afterall, it did not
really work for Jesus either – his way of nonviolence led him to the cross and
death.”
Why then practice nonviolence in our violent world, if it
does not bear sufficient results?
There are a few reasons that I give, but there is one that
is foundational to why we are called to live missionally in nonviolent ways.
In following Jesus, we are called to live our lives as his
disciples – living out the life of Jesus in the world. In that Jesus lived and ministered in ways
which advocated and promoted nonviolence, we are only disciples of Jesus as we
practice a way of life similar to that of Jesus.
Our discipleship is also expressed through giving
witness. Jesus did not merely say in
Matthew 28 that we are to teach Jesus’ teaching in making disciples, but to “teach
them to obey all that I have taught you.”
Discipleship and witness have to do with obeying Jesus and his teachings
– not just acknowledging them. In giving
witness to Jesus and living out Jesus’ way of being human in the world, the
practice of nonviolence has less to do with how well it works to how well it
demonstrates a different reality, a different way of being human in the world –
even when the practice of nonviolence is seemingly unsuccessful as it results
in the death of those practicing nonviolence.
Giving witness to nonviolence is to give witness to the
different reality of God’s reign – it is about seeing all humanity reconciled
to God, be they those whom we befriend or those who are our enemies. We are called to practice nonviolence and
peacemaking, to be involved in reconciliation and forgiveness, because in
partnering with Jesus in God’s mission we are about making visible a very
different way of being human in a violent world.
We practice nonviolence because we are giving witness to a
different reality – but more than that – we practice nonviolence and
peacemaking because we are living out a different reality. By the power of the Spirit of God, we are
enabled and empowered to demonstrate a radically new way of being human in the
world – and rather than warring against other human beings, we are seeking to
bring about healing, forgiveness and reconciliation – which at times requires
us to get in the way of violence – which is what Jesus did on the cross (taking
the oppressive and repressive violence of the principalities and powers of the
world set against humanity upon himself).
This demonstration effectively shapes us to be a community
of Christ in the world, a community which is a sign, foretaste, and instrument
of God’s present and coming reign (see Missional Matters Vol 1: 3,4,5 for
more on this). And though giving witness
to nonviolence seems powerless in a violent world, when it does “work” it
brings about radical transformation bringing peace in the midst of war, healing
in the midst of destruction, wholeness in the midst of brokenness. We give witness to nonviolence because the
practice of nonviolence is to give witness to the presence of God in the world
who is at work re-creating humanity and creation into a new humanity and a new
world through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Day after day we hear of the violence in the world, violence
that never ceases – all violence does is breed more violence. What will peacemaking through nonviolence
breed in the world? Let’s try and see!
May the peace of God be with you!
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