With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my
brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a
living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world
around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from
within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good,
meets all his demands, and moves towards the goal of true maturity.
Romans 12:1-2
Since the beginning Jesus has taught that the nonviolent
will inherit the earth. Violence cannot
defeat violence. Fear cannot defeat
fear. Domination cannot defeat
domination. God’s way is different. God
must achieve victory through defeat, glory through shame, strength through
weakness, leadership through servanthood, and life through death.
Brian
McLaren, Seeking Aliveness
______________________________
I wake
uncertain and anxious
what will I see today
I don’t want to open my eyes
but rather to squeeze them shut
I don’t want to see the evil
it comes like a tsunami
all the miseries of human creatures
violence, fear, graft, abuse and retribution
the way of dominance
it crushes my soul
how do I rise and stand
light in the darkness shining?
it seems so much simpler
to just ride the wave
or squat down cowering
invisible
defeat seems inevitable
and yet
we are offer our lives as an act of intelligent worship
all that we are as a living sacrifice
we are to resist
refusing, despite our fear, and hate
and desire to dominate
to be formed by the world
but we are called to be transformed
by that which we have received
whatever fills our hearts, souls, minds
is what keeps us from being crushed
crumpled crushed
debris
power from within
must counter the powers from without
that is the only way
it is subversive
seditious
but we must dare to believe
that good can overcome evil
kindness, cruelty
love, hate
life, death
else we lose
even if we win
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