Shake the poet and the beat

When one falls-in, an understudy of the Revolutionary Jesus, life runs against the grain.  I know mine is.  Today I embraced Paul's teachings of "do not return evil for evil, but ever follow that which is good."  He takes after Jesus's cheek-turning solution. This was not some lofty ideal but a transformative solution to ending the cycle of violence.  If a first century Jew struck another on the right cheek (meaning they hit  with their left hand, a dirty  disregard for human dignity since the left hand was used for hygiene) turning the left cheek would have brought an abrupt halt to the cycle of voilence.  The assailant would be forced to face the cheek of human dignity.  Its as if the disciple would be saying, "This cheek is the appropriate cheek to hit."  

Jesus says don't hit them back, or you will perpetuate the cycle of violence.  Turn the other cheek, does not mean mere passivity, but solution oriented protocols to stopping the voilence. If the Roman law demands that all conquered people are required to carry a Roman soldiers gear for a mile and you refuse to do this its going to turn into a cycle of arguing over rights verses laws and the soldier will take it out on the next guy, but if you tell him "I'll take it an extra mile for you." You will defuse his aggression, insecurities, and restore human dignity to his view.  You stop the cycle. 

I prayed today.  Lord I dont want to return evil for evil to the bank.  On the other hand I dont want this bank to perpetuate this treatment of other churches in this manner.  Provide us with a solution.  Let them see such love adn grace, resolute faith and courage, and returning of good for evil that they can see you.  But in that give us solutions that can be helpful to other churches.  Help us come up with a model or system that will solve our crisis but serve as a model for other churches,

Listening to KOL's "Use Somebody" the lyrics sashay their way to this message, "off in the night, while you live it up, I'm off to sleep waging war to shake the poet and the beat.  You know I could use somebody." I craved to be used by God.  To break a cycle, love an enemy, pray for a bank, ask God for grace.  I want to stir the poet to life in me, combat the reduced speech and give beauty to the flattened world.   I want to be less concerned about my rights and more concerned with my responsibilities.  God use me, please.

Comments

[Chris Williams]

This is my first time here. Good stuff, great links(especially the books on disccipleship). What a great resource!