Nonviolent Cross Book
Today someone who read this posting the other night reminded me of a valuable lesson: You can be against a war that you think is unjust and immoral but still love and respect the soldiers who fight the war. Unfortunately I was reminded of that lesson a few years ago when an early USA soldier killed in Iraq was a young man that I had known when I was a youth minister in his church. I had been gone from the parish for a number of years when I heard of his death in Iraq. He was one of those kids that you could not help but like. He was mischievous but with a great sense of humor. I heard of another local soldier on TV tonight. When I think of the brave young men and woman dying I am saddened and more determined to bring the troops home from Iraq. I also feel for all the Iraqis who have died and been made refugees since the USA invasion and occupation of Iraq. I pray for them too but somehow knowing a person makes it hurt more. When death by senseless violence be it in Iraq or on the streets of Milwaukee is personal one becomes more determined to stop it and prevent it. That is why I am so pleased at the new Milwaukee Homicide Report blog. The more death is personal the more one is determined to end the violence that caused it.
As anyone checking this site www.nonviolentworm.org can tell you, it is divided between the home model of Growing Power, and Peace and Nonviolence. It my mind, however, there is no division. So some days I can talk about worms and growing and other days about war and peace, or do both in the same posting. Everything is connected if we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. There are many symbols to show this paradox of life, that through death there is life. For us Christians the cross is both the symbol of senseless violence and a sign of hope. Some call it the nonviolent cross. The cross, a symbol of violence and cruelty, has become the symbol of love and victory over death.
“The violence of a crucifixion meant to keep total violence in power was revealed instead, to the eyes of the oppressed, as the transforming power of a suffering, nonviolent love. The cross as deterrent became the cross as life. Through the cross Jesus entered into the crucifixion of the world. In so doing, he revealed the other side of violence, which is suffering, as a way of resistance—a way of transforming violence into life itself.” “Nonviolent Coming of God” by James W. Douglas
Time: 11:44 p.m., Office Temp.: 64, Sunroom Temp. Average: 59, Outside Temp.: 34, KWH: 159.00
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