How does a Christian reconcile the brute force of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ who allowed himself to be led like a lamb to the cross? History records individuals who chose non-violent methods as a solution to conflict resolution, many of them nameless. One name though, is enough to stand on their behalf - Martin Luther King Jr.  Like all those before and after him who dedicated their lives to peace, Martin knew there was something very potent - not passive - about turning the other cheek.

In her article, The Power of Nonviolent Resistance, Jessica McElrath outlines MLK's non violent methods point-by-point. She writes: During the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. captured the attention of the nation with his philosophy and commitment to the method of nonviolent resistance. According to Dr. King, this was the only solution that could cure society’s evil and create a just society. As King emerged as a leader in the civil rights movement, he put his belief into action and proved that this was an effective method to combat racial segregation...

Over the last few months I've had at least a dozen people tell me I needed to read the novel The Shack by William P. Young. "It's your theology in narrative form," one person told me. Now, I rarely read novels, especially Christian novels. And in my experience, Christian novels that try to get theological are the worst. But, giving the pattern of enthusiastic recommendations and given that someone had given me a free copy begging me to read it, I decided to give it a two or three chapter trial on a plane ride the other day.

Warning: Do not read this novel on a plane or any other public place where you're trapped around people -- unless you're totally okay with becoming emotionally undone in front of perfect strangers. There are points where this book rips your heart out. At least it did me. The body building dude sitting next to me on the plane must have thought I was a first rate wimp, weeping over a novel...

Steven was afraid of fire--God's fire, to be exact. He'd heard terrifying sermons about God tormenting the wicked in an everlasting fire. Constantly, he struggled with the question;"If God is truly loving, then how could He be so cruel? He tried to obey God, but the threat of a vengeful death, made it impossible for Steven to trust God. His mind often pictured the death of the wicked like a terrifying b-movie event in his head. While the wicked eyes were rolling back in terror, He imagined an angry and seething God pointing a searing finger toward the lost, like a hot iron just waiting to sear their flesh. 

Worst of all, Steven pictured this continuing for eternity. Do the wicked die as an arbitrary act of God? Or do they die from the intrinsic results of sin? Sinful beings melting in the presence of a loving God. One view is merciful and loving, as God, the lifegiver, allows them go as the result of their own choices. The other view is of a bully god who is vengeful--much like an angry human getting even...

The New Testament commands us never to “repay evil with evil” but instead to “overcome evil with good” (Rom.12:17; cf. I Thess 5:15; I Pet 3:9). Jesus said, “Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also”(Mt 5:39). He also said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Lk 6:27-28). The teaching seems pretty straightforward, yet this very straightforwardness presents us with a dilemma.

On the one hand, we who confess Jesus as Lord don’t want to say that Jesus and other New Testament authors are simply off their rockers in telling us not to resist evildoers, to repay evil with good, to love our enemies and to do pray for and bless people who mistreat us. If our confession of faith means anything, we have to take this teaching very seriously. On the other hand, we have to frankly admit that it’s very hard to take this teaching seriously when it comes to extreme situations like having to protect ourselves and our family from an intruder...