Struggling With

III.    Vows of Nonviolent Witness

“We pledge to act in allegiance to God alone, and to resist injustice with goodness”

10. I will speak up in defense and protection of anyone, even enemies, who are attacked with violence of word or action, even at the risk of my own life.

(Isaac Beachy, Fellowship of Reconciliation Colombia)

Isaac discovered at least one very important thing from the San Jose de Apartado Peace Community in northwest Colombia: struggle for God’s shalom is not easy! In his February 2011 blog entry, Isaac admits: “When I first wrote the title to this blog [‘With the Struggle’] I had no idea what a struggle meant. Before, a struggle was an exciting story full of graffiti, marches, people power, powerful Spanish protest songs and was victorious. Struggling or being with a struggle seemed like an adventure to me... Now fully understanding the emotional and often physical cost of being in a struggle, I see it’s not something you do for fun.”

This Is Your Weapon

II.      Vows of Rejection

“We renounce violence of the heart, tongue and fist, neither willing nor working harm to any”

9. I will reject violence of the fist: I will not retaliate toward anger or assault, provocation or violence, in word or action; I will not seek or inflict any injury, harm or death toward any person.

(Idi Amin testing a new weapon)

Idi Amin has been referred to as Africa’s Hitler. His eight-year reign of terror over Uganda in the 1970s resulted in hundreds of thousands killed. Amin perpetrated gross human rights abuses, violent political repression, ethnic persecution and extrajudicial killings. When church leaders spoke up in protest, they were interrogated and killed. Festo Kivengere, an Anglican bishop who escaped into exile after Archbishop Janani Luwun was murdered for speaking out against Amin’s tyrannical regime, was asked if he would strike back at Dictator Amin if he had the opportunity: “If you were sitting in Ida Amin’s office with a gun in your hand, what would you do?” Bishop Kivengere responded, “I would give the gun to Amin and say, ‘This is your weapon; my weapon is love.”* 

Getting in the Way

III.    Vows of Nonviolent Witness

“We pledge to act in allegiance to God alone, and to resist injustice with goodness”

10. I will speak up in defense and protection of anyone, even enemies, who are attacked with violence of word or action, even at the risk of my own life

In the historical World War II movie To End All Wars*, British Prisoners of War (POWs) in a Japanese prison camp in Burma suffer brutal treatment and excruciating forced labor at the hands of their captors. After the killing of one of their lead officers for his disrespect, some of the POWs decide the way to freedom is to organize a prisoners’ revolt. But the fatigued prisoners are unable to carry out the scheme and the leader, Major Campbell, is sentenced to death. Shockingly both to the Japanese and the other British prisoners an opponent of Major Campbell steps up to take his place. Dusty Miller, a soldier newly filled with Christ’s compassionate solidarity, vividly and sacrificially enacts today’s vow on behalf of a fellow prisoner who has treated him so poorly: “I will speak up in defense and protection of anyone, even enemies, who are attacked with violence of word or action, even at the risk of my own life.”