Peace to You

this is a blog designed to be a forum through which i can express my thoughts on peace and being a peacemaker. I have found that far too often, I long for peace.

I recently read a quote from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. it goes like this:

"Nonviolence...does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding...The end is redemption and reconciliation. The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence is tragic bitterness...

"The nonviolent resister not only refuses to shoot his opponent but he refuses to hate him. At the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love...To retaliate in kind would do nothing buy intensify the existence of hate in the universe. Along the way, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives."

I love this quote because to me it captures the essence of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The Christian is one who seeks redemption and reconciliation. The purpose of the church is the creation of the beloved community (i.e. the Kingdom of God). Jesus set the example as he cut off the chain of hate, and the Christian is to follow that pattern.

I hope you enjoy this blog and the thoughts that are written here!