I Object to Violence

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”

― Mahatma Gandhi, The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas

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another day

more violence

more senseless in the name of

God

or ideology

or just because

there is so much anger

so much hate

or so much need for a sense of power

perhaps there is just evil

and evil begets evil

already there are the cries of those

who think the answer is a gun in every hand

and politicians politicize death

tragedy

the death of human beings

mothers, fathers, sons, daughters

people who were loved

people who loved

people who dreamed

is made into a talking point

Jesus said there would be times like this

that there would be false leaders

(anyone in office using a moment of tragedy to say hateful things and promote violence, like Trump)

and empty prayers

and a reliance on things that don’t work

(then it was the temple, now it is the way of violence)

Jesus said that stones would tumble

that the structures of the world would crumble

and then

out of the pain

would come newness

I would like to think so

Lord, deliver us from people with ideology

People of hate

People of violence

Lord deliver us from ourselves

You showed a better way

help us

as scary and difficult as it is

to follow it

help us to be part of the answer, O Sacred One

help us not to be those who contribute to the chaos

not to be those who tear down

but to be those who work

to bring the "kingdom"

(the rule of love)

not just near

but into

being