Stop the Violence

By Fr.Gus Carter

 2/18/07

We all believe in fairness. If individuals treat you kindly, you, in turn should treat them in the same fashion. If someone hurts you in some way, you should hurt them back. But there is so much bad behavior in the world. Is there any way to change that situation? Jesus calls on his followers to act in the world in such a way that others can learn to reverse damaging actions.

"Love your enemies," Jesus tells us. At first glance this seems wrong-headed, against common sense. Mahatma Gandhi read the words of to day's Gospel, and he responded, "Yes, when you return anger for anger, you justify the anger of the other person." This led Gandhi to teach, "Do not become what you hate in another person. We do not want to become like our enemies."

We might also say, "Do not let other people determine the kind of person you will be." This is the great freedom God has given humans. We do not have to act automatically in any situation. We can act according to our own inner light and not be at the mercy of the bad character of others. Our greatest gift and privilege is that we can and should choose the kind of person we want to be. We are made in the image and likeness of God. Precisely Jesus tells us that in loving our enemies, "Your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, as your Father is merciful."

One spiritual master wrote, "Jesus offers us a share in God's own unimaginable freedom which demands the transformation of what it means to be alive." Since we are made for God, our deepest freedom is to do what is good, that is what we most deeply desire.

A helpful insight which psychology has uncovered is that abused children become abusers as adults. These kinds of individuals have been taught to be self-haters. That is too much for the human psyche to bear. So that type of person projects his or her own self-hate onto others. How do we stop this vicious cycle? We do it by respecting others, by treating them kindly. Jesus asks each of us to be generators of love in society, to do our part in creating a world without violence.

We all know individuals who have few, if any, enemies because they are loving in their ways. They have a kind tongue and easily cooperate with others. They make excuses for people and look for their good qualities. They do not seem to envy others, but have a way of encouraging them. They are essentially givers. They give their time, their possessions, their sympathy and their support. They have their faults, but they are very special people. They have learned to live the message of Christ.

Jesus has shown us by example how to lovingly approach people. He was particularly sensitive and loving toward those generally despised by the population of his day. The sick, who often were considered to have caused their own illnesses, were put on the margins of society. These and sinners along with Samaritans were not considered deserving of respect. They were welcomed by Jesus.

Jesus was no weakling. He stood up forcefully to people like the Pharisees who imposed on "little people burdens too heavy to bear. He urged the woman taken in adultery not to sin again,

but he refused to condemn her. He managed to turn the other cheek, even when nailed to a cross: "Father forgive them," he said.

Most of us want to stop violence of all kinds. We have come a little way toward being like Jesus. He is trying to move us along a little more. When we are horrified by violence in the world, let this remind us that Jesus teaches us day by day how to reduce violence in the world around us.