Avoid dangerous situations.
Accept physical abuse and suffering.
Christ suffered; the godly and holy also suffer.
Confront our persecutor.
SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW TO CONFRONT OUR PERSECUTORS
Identify yourself.
Be informed.
Don’t have a self-serving agenda; always have a caring universalist agenda.
But we must always follow our conscience.
Document everything. Be specific as to the suffering or injustice —name names, identify crimes, get witnesses. Try to find peaceful solutions. Look at the problem from a different point of view.
Use whatever legal means are at your disposal.
SPIRITUAL WEAPONS
our shield is our faith
our sword is the word of God
our baptism is that of the spirit
our swords are beaten into ploughshares
As peacemakers, we have spiritual weapons to use in the fight for peace. These are the only weapons which promote the coming of God’s Kingdom; these are the only weapons which will bring the truth and blessings of God to men.
The only offensive spiritual weapons are the word of God, inspired words, persuasion, truth, preaching against sin in high places, and confronting persons of high social rank.
LOVE OUR ENEMIES
HOW CAN WE DO THESE DIFFICULT THINGS?
How do we know when to let the waves break over our heads and when to confront our persecutors? We must live a life of purity, goodness, and generosity.
Purity is absolutely essential to living a good life and being our best selves, our real selves. If our thoughts are pure, we know the truth. We see things as they really are.
GOD’S PLAN FOR LIVING A PEACEFUL LIFE
Universalist
- Everyone may know God.
- We use universal, inclusive language such as
- “all, everyone, people everywhere, citizens.”
Created in the Image of God
Everyone may be pure, holy, and righteous, live good moral lives, know right from wrong, love others, live a peaceful life.
Every person is valuable
Created in the Image of God,
Christ lives within us
God loves each and every one of us.
aVOID DANGEROUS SITUATIONS! i SHOULD HOPE SO. WHY ASK FOR TROUBLE IF YOU DON'T HAVE TOO. IF NOTHING PEACEFUL WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED.
ReplyDeleteACCEPT PHYSICAL ABUSE AND SUFFERING. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS ENOUGH SUFFERING -- ILLNESS, POVERTY, BETRAYAL -- WITHOUT LOOKING FOR IT. IT WILL FIND US. SUFFERING HAS TO BE ENDURED BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD THINK OF IT AS A GIFT.