Religious violence is one troubling part of this period in history. I’m thinking of everything from the 9/11 attacks to the January 6th Capitol riots to the recent shootings in northern and southern California. The concept of religious violence, in particular, seems self-contradictory: Our faith values should propel us to good things – like faith, hope, and love (I Corinthians 13:13); or like righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17) – rather than cruelty and death. Where does this come from?
A good person to study in relation to religious violence is the apostle Paul. Going both by the personal recounting of his life details (Galatians 1:13) and the historical records (Acts 7:58, 8:1, 9:1-2), we know that Paul was once a violent religious thug – but that he was rescued from it. He was seized by the grace of God in his encounter with Jesus and was brought to an experience of salvation. So today we know Paul not chiefly as a perpetrator of religious violence, but as the brilliant writer, charismatic leader, and proclaimer of the gospel who wrote a large portion of the New Testament. I thought of all this while I was studying Romans 5:1-21 over the last couple months of 2022. Paul’s testimony from his personal experience was a big part of the reason why he spoke so effusively about salvation (in 5:15-21). And a key motivating factor was what he came to rejoice in (or alternately, to boast in). Think about this for a minute: What brings you joy? What do you rejoice in? Paul identified three things (in 5:1-11)…
Part of the good news is that the violence ultimately didn’t overcome Jesus. His resurrection from the grave signified His victory over violence and death. And it’s interesting that He didn’t engage in any kind of retaliatory violence when He had the chance: He didn’t come after Pontius Pilate or Judas Iscariot, or any of the Romans who crucified Him. Rather, He gathered with His disciples and gave them the Great Commission to continue His work in the world (Matthew 28:19-20, John 20:21). And it’s a work we continue with to this very day. God bless you. Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church
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Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
March 2024
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