CHRISTIANITY AND WORLD PEACE

It will never be possible for Christians for the sake of peace to compromise their proclamation of a resurrected Lord Jesus who was crucified for the forgiveness of sin. Neither can they compromise their commitment to a godly life lived in the power of the Holy Spirit and walking in the commandments of God. Indeed Jesus spoke plainly of the strife that such faith would bring and the need to face persecution.

However, one thing stands out very clearly in the teaching of Jesus; whilst we may be persecuted and suffer violence from others, whether political or religious, our calling can never be one of violence. It is totally contrary to the spirit of genuine Christianity to advance its cause in that manner. Wherever that may have been done in the past it has always been an offence to the gospel. It will have happened usually because some political force or person has hijacked and used Christianity for its own worldly ends, or because Christians have sold out to political powers rather than curb them.

Three statements of Jesus in particular make this position of non-violence very evident. First, there was an occasion when Jesus went through a Samaritan village and was shunned by the villagers. The disciples wanted to call down fire on them (expressive of their own untutored and bitter religious hatred). Jesus rebuked them with the words, “You do not know what spirit you are of.” (Lk 9:51). Second, he taught, “Bless those who persecute you” (Matt 5:28). Third, he told Pilate, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were my servants would fight to prevent my arrest” (Jn. 18:36). With these statements Jesus flatly turned his back on violence and coercion.

Thus, whilst Jesus never compromised in what he preached nor mollified the warnings he gave to those who refused his offer of salvation, he also never threatened violence. There was nothing in his message that sought to dominate, no words or threats of physical violence for those who would not toe the line. That was not his “spirit”. He was proclaiming a Kingdom of love, and that demanded a totally voluntary response of heart, not a slavish response of fear. He required no savage punishment for anyone blaspheming him; on the contrary he died a criminal’s death on a cross for sinners.

This represents an absolutely fundamental principle that, as far as true Christianity is concerned, “religious” differences are not to be settled by the sword (or the gun). Jesus left people free to choose, even if they chose the false. They were then left with the consequences of their own choice. That is the way of the Kingdom. It is this principle that has to find its way into the world of religious differences in the modern world if we are to know peace. It is this principle that the disciples of Jesus must not only teach, but live out. This is the principle upon which alone true tolerance can be found. We are to live and let live, and allow God to be the judge.


The modern process of trying to blur the distinctives of religions is not a viable way forward to peace; adopting a position of tolerance such as is at the heart of the Christian faith is the only viable way, though one may question the ability of the human heart and of human religion to walk it!




Bob




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