Blog Posts

A Faith That Says No to Violence - October 3rd, 2025

When we think of our faith, we often picture prayer, worship, and acts of kindness. Yet history shows that when the church stays silent about aggression, it can unintentionally lend legitimacy to violence. The gospel itself, however, offers a clear counter‑narrative. The gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to a very different way.

Jesus made it crystal clear that love, mercy, and forgiveness outweigh any use of violence both in actions and words. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands us to “turn the other cheek.” That is not weakness it is strength rooted in love. He calls us to love one another as He has loved us. The Apostle Paul tells us plainly, “Do not repay evil with evil, but overcome evil with good.” These are not suggestions they are the way of the Kingdom of God. They set the standard that the kingdom of God cannot and be built on violence. As Jesus said, "My Kingdom is not of this world, if it were, my servants would fight to keep if from being taken away".  We see that as followers of Jesus we are called to live by a different standard, one rooted in truth, love and non-violence.

We cannot ignore the failures in church history. The Crusades were carried out with crosses on banners, but they had nothing to do with Christ. Segregation and apartheid were propped up by churches that stayed quiet and worse as pulpits lent their support. Even now, some groups misuse the name of Jesus to push hate and fear. Every time we are silent, every time we soften the truth, we risk giving cover to those who twist the gospel into a weapon.

But hear this clearly, violence and violent rhetoric are not of Jesus. They are not His way, and they must never be ours. When the woman was dragged before Him, with a crowd ready to stone her, Jesus stopped them. He exposed their hypocrisy and set the woman free. When He met the Samaritan woman at the well, He gave compassion and living water, not shame or condemnation. Jesus never armed His disciples with swords of steel, but with the power of the Spirit and the strength of love.

So we must decide if we will speak and act in His name with love, or will we betray His name by echoing the world’s anger and violence? If we adopt militant rhetoric, if we bless aggression, if we support violence in any form, we forfeit our witness. We misrepresent Jesus. We wound the very people we are called to heal.

As follower of Jesus we must stand firm. We must say it without hesitation: violent speech, violent action, violent alliances are not of Christ. They are a denial of His teaching and a distortion of His kingdom. Our calling is not to conquer by force but to serve by love. Our power is not in weapons or politics but in the cross—where Jesus defeated sin and death not by striking His enemies down, but by laying His life down.

We cannot stay silent. We must speak. We must live this truth: in Jesus, there is no place for violence. There is only the way of love, the way of mercy, the way of peace.