Nearly two millenia ago a great teacher and prophet and (as many Christians believe) the Son of God walked the earth and taught people that they should love one another, even their enemies, even those they despised. It was a radical teaching then and it remains a radical teaching today, but that only makes it all the more essential that we remember it on this day when the world over Christians celebrate the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection and the salvation he gave to humankind.
What would Jesus be doing today if he were alive on this earth, here in America? I suspect he would be preaching in front of the White House, telling everyone who would listen to end the occupation of Iraq. He would, in short, be advocating peace. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. His words, not mine. Words to consider today when all our leaders, and one of our presidential candidates advocate more and more and more war. Words that bear repeating: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
God bless all of you who have opposed this terrible war and sought to bring an end to it, and all my love to those who have suffered as a result of it, even and especially those who consider themselves our enemies. For that is what Jesus asks us to do. That is what Jesus would do.
In The Brothers Karamazov, there’s a chapter “The Grand Inquisitor.” Briefly, Jesus returns to earth and true to type starts spreading goodwill and healing the sick, etc. The Church gets wind of this and immediately pick him up, throw him in jail, and execute him. Real Christianity, it turns out, is bad for Business.
I don’t imagine much has changed since Dostoevsky’s time, but nowadays there’s a longer list of businesses that would find Jesus far too great a threat to be allowed to roam around loose. He’d probably end up in Gitmo.
Happy Easter, Steven.
That’s the original ending of Mark, the first Gospel to be composed.
This is what was added later.
Happy Easter.
Hey Dude, I just want to say thank you for this site to give me a voice and a place to learn. You and all the writers of this site and the ppl who comment are excellent. You and your site are excellent in its context. I love to read here more than any other site ever. It is the first to be read after work. I have to say, you are the man and I do wish your site more and more visitors to see the graciousness of your and others heart of fairness and that you and others here will be in some part the path that will lead us to an open debate of many things. hugs and thanks again..
Thank you, Brenda, for sticking around since the beginning. Happy Easter.
…and a blessed Easter to you too, Steven and to all of this site. May which ever God you choose to believe in grant you the peace of HEART that allows you to have a peaceful day and worth the graciousness of being my brother or sister on this old earth. My hugs for my friends and enemies are with each of you today as always every day.
How is your wife? I hope she is doing well. I think of her often and hope she is doing well. Take great care, my Friend. You are doing us a great service here with your writing, of which I always read with excitement of learning……
My wife is still cancer free, which is a blessing. She had hand surgery in February to correct a bad carpal tunnel problem and is rehabbing that now.
Steven, I know how horridly scary that was for you and her and your family and, might I say, to all of us here too. I am so thankful for your blessing as well. We just never seem to stop to count our blessings, as we all should do. Peace is the search for which I am on this earth to achieve, it seems. To help heal the sick [physically] and to redeem their faith that there are others out here that do care about them and their wellness. The peacemakers are always in my prayers as well…for their challenge is daunting, in these times.
Thank you for writing this beautiful peace. Yes, I chose that spelling deliberately.
As a Christian I recognise Christ’s words as an aim for all humankind; and there will be many others, buddhists, jews, moslems, hindus, other people of religion, and those of no religion at all, who work so hard to make peace throughout the world.
I am deeply dismayed when I hear those who profess a faith and then ignore the teachings of that faith to encourage or support acts of war. Bush, Blair, there have been many throughout history.
Sadly our race has seen too many acts of genocide for it to be considered haphazard or accidental; and why is almost always men who feel the need to wage war?
I feel that one genocide has been generally ignored, particularly by many Democrats. I refer, of course, to the mass slaughter of the Iraqi children, under the age of five, that were targeted by UN/US sanctions whilst WJ Clinton was President. According to UN figures 500,000 died. We must not forget those children who died from hunger and lack of drinking water; and we must never forget those that were responsible.
May all people understand that we each have a responsibility for acts committed in our name and a responsibility to vigorously oppose their repetition.
Malcolm
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Palestine of course was occupied territory and part of the Roman Empire. Jesus would not be protesting outside the White House today, a symbol of affluence in the West. I believe he would uplift the spirit of the oppressed and preach HOPE. In many ways he was a revolutionary, a man for CHANGE, but separating church and state (Ceasar’s). He fled the promised land as an infant, but returned to preach against the establishment of orthodoxy and conservatism.
In today’s world he would surely be a force of renewal and not of status quo. Perhaps as a Gandhi of India or the Dalai Lama of Tibet. The latter fled his country instead of undergoing persecution and death at the hands of collaborators and occupiers.
A promise of Peace on Earth yet to be fulfilled. After two millenniums and the scourge of human failure throughout history, I can only hope for a personal love, peace and well being for all here at the pond.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Mmmm. Chocolate Bunnies…