If violence only begets more violence, why do you do it? If running away from your problems or striking first doesn't solve your problems, what does? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 1119).
We
typically think that violence manifests hard realism and an
aggressive tendency to "get real." But it can be seen that
the contrary is most often true. Violence can be an expression of
rampant escapism by both parties. The most fundamental form of
escapism is that of failing to see your opposition as essentially a
reflection of the same human nature you share. What you hate your
enemy most for is no different from the proclivities of your own
nature. A gang member, for example, may label all officers of the
law as "crackers." This is simply a way of expressing a
total lack of kinship. The law officers, on the other hand, may
label all gang members as "thugs." Again, for the same
purpose. It is said that "subtle differences make all the
difference." Actually both "thugs" and "crackers"
constitute pejorative stones thrown giving testimony to the
commonality of human behavior--a marked tendency to render inhuman
one's opposition. Surely the first step down any path of violence is
the dehumanization of the opposition--which is itself a totally human
form of behavior--something profoundly shared by all human beings.
An additional indication of escapism is that conflict resolution can
be a complex, painstaking, and resource demanding activity. It can
require patience, tenacity, and an immense degree of quiet and
non-sensational work. Is it any wonder that humans often opt for
escape from these assiduous requirements of conflict resolution and
choose instead the dramatics and heroics of violence? Again, what
unites us is widespread and profound.
The
fallacy of seeing ourselves as righteous compared to far lesser human
beings has been made plain by Jesus when he discussed murder this
way: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago,
‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to
judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother
or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a
brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone
who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
(Matthew 5:21-22 NIV). No one is exempt from the
vulnerabilities of mankind, and we can be rest assured we fully share
commonality with the totality of the strange mammalians called homo sapiens.
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