Jesus: Pacifist or Non-Violent

He asked the question at the table with five other people. The other people were clergy. He asked in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death, "Was Jesus a pacifist?" There was a long silence as apparently none of us wanted to be the first. Then one of us said he did not think Jesus was a Pacifist but he did think Jesus was a believer in non-violence. That evoked an interesting debate and some agreement. Jesus was confrontational. He did go to Jerusalem where the power struggle would take place, but he did not call down the legions of angels. He told Peter to put away the sword and healed the bloody ear. He did not back away from confronting people when their behavior was less than what he thought was right. But he did say turn the other cheek. He did say give your shirt if they take your coat. He did say pray for your enemies and bless those who persecute you.

The question does make visible again the great difficulties of living as a citizen of the Kingdom of God and as a citizen of any nation. The events of the death of Bin Laden and the means by which he was killed place a follower of Jesus in a great bind. These decisions and these actions, it seems to me, demonstrate the great tension of being "in the world, but not of the world." Jesus told us we have to be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.

There are rights, duties, obligations and privileges that come from being a part of a nation. St. Paul even acknowledged that such powers were established for the welfare and happiness of society. But those obligations and duties, those choices, those decisions often are obligations, decisions and duties that run counter to the ethics of the kingdom of God. The world is still the fallen creation that has not yet become the fully realized Kingdom of God. To fulfill the obligations of the Constitution of one country will bring each of us into conflicts with what we understand our obligations as citizens of the Kingdom of God are. It was for this reason, I think, that Martin Luther urged us a believers to sin boldly, and believe in forgiveness.

Would Jesus have approved the assault on Bin Laden? The torture, the invasion of another country (we seem to be getting pretty comfortable with doing that) the assassination? There is a big part of me that does not think that would have been his way, but the President has different choices, different obligations, different responsibilities and only God will be able to judge whether that was justice or not. That is why we depend so much on grace.