Beating Guns

by Shane Claiborne

—Minucius Felix, The Octavius of Minucius Felix 30

  He nowhere teaches that it is right for His own disciples to offer violence to anyone, however wicked.

  —Origen, Against Celsus 3.7

  Stephen . . . did not ask for vengeance for himself, but for pardon for his murderers.

  —Cyprian, On the Good of Patience 16

  The whole world is wet with mutual blood; and murder, which in the case of an individual is admitted to be a crime, is called a virtue when it is committed wholesale. Impunity is claimed for the wicked deeds, not on the plea that they are guiltless, but because the cruelty is perpetrated on a grand scale.

  —Cyprian, To Donatus 6

  Renewing Our Minds

  For the early church and Christians today, baptism is one of the signs that we are being washed from all the pollution of sin and violence, and we rise from the waters of baptism as a new creation. “The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Cor. 5:17). We are a new creation—our old life, our old ways, and our propensity to violence and resentment and revenge are being transformed. And it is a process. As Scripture says, we are working out our salvation “with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12).

  The early Christians were radically committed to nonviolence in every form. Ron Sider has collected many of the writings of early Christians in a great book called The Early Church on Killing that displays how strong and consistent the first Christians stood against violence. Some of them were violent people before they got dipped in the baptismal waters and washed in the blood of Jesus.13

  This transformation of our minds and souls doesn’t just happen on its own. A gun doesn’t just turn into a plow. It has to be formed, molded, shaped. Transformation takes time and patience, and it must endure the flames of the forge.

  Jesus used the word disciple purposefully, as it shares the same root as the word discipline. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24).

  We have to work out our soul muscles just like we work out our physical muscles, or else our hearts become unhealthy, physically and spiritually. Our muscles can atrophy, and so can our compassion.

  We need holy habits for our spirits just like we need healthy habits for our bodies. Jesus isn’t the only one trying to make disciples out of us; the NRA and Wall Street and Hollywood are battling for our minds too. So are the gun profiteers who want to add 3 million guns each year to the arsenal that already plagues our streets.

  The Scriptures tell us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2). A lot of pastors interpret that to mean that we shouldn’t listen to secular music or watch R-rated movies. We used to burn our cassette tapes and CDs, and now we delete our media from the cloud. But it’s much deeper than that. This is about putting good things into our minds so that good things come out of us. Like Jesus said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45).

  When we pray and practice the other spiritual disciplines—like Sabbath keeping, solitude, simplicity, and fasting—we begin to purge ourselves of the toxic stuff of earth and fill ourselves with the holy stuff of heaven, sort of like when we stop eating junk food and eat real food.

  Part of renewing our mind is filling it with stuff that is not violent. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. . . . And the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8–9). We can begin to put this into practice by simply asking God to fill us with the fruit of the Spirit, the things that Scripture says God is like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

  Once when I (Shane) was speaking at a military school on the subject of discipline, I addressed the discipline of nonviolence and how it is something we learn and practice and train ourselves in. I ended by inviting each cadet to pray that the fruits of the Spirit would live inside of them and flow through them into the world. I said each one of them slowly. Afterward, one of the cadets came up to me with tears in his eyes. He said, “As you said each of those, I realized how foreign they are to the military world. . . . That is not what they are teaching us and training us to be.” He went on to say he wasn’t sure that he could continue to be in the military, as his commitment to Christ seemed to be colliding with his military service. He wasn’t sure that he could love his enemies and simultaneously prepare to kill them. Could he carry a cross in one hand and a gun in the other?

  Just as violence is something that we learn, so is nonviolence. And just as violence is something we absorb, even unintentionally, such absorption also happens in the church.

  It’s why we surround ourselves with saints, hoping they will rub off on us and inspire us to live in countercultural ways.

  It is also why we surround ourselves with people who are nonviolent. Community is key. Jesus once said, “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matt. 18:20). We are called to live in community, and it is one of the ways we can resist the dominant forces in this world that teach us fear and prejudice and violence. Community, and spiritual community in particular, is how we create positive peer pressure.

  Teenagers always hear about peer pressure as a bad thing, and it can be. But it can also be a good thing. We can surround ourselves with people who remind us of the kind of person we want to be, and they rub off on us. When we surround ourselves with a critical mass of people who create a gravity that moves us toward God and toward our best self, we are unstoppable.

  Just like coals of a fire—or a forge—keep each other warm, so do we. The deeper, longer, and more dense the coals are, the hotter the fire is. And everyone knows the way to put a fire out is by scattering the coals. We can’t keep the fire alive inside of us without staying near to the source of the fire and by staying near to others who fan the flame in us.

  God said it’s not good to be alone. Jesus lived in community, sent the disciples out in pairs, and said whenever two or three of us gather in his name, he is with us. We are better together. Community is about realizing that others can make us better, that we can do more together than on our own. The good news is that we are not alone in the world.

  So if you want to be more courageous, hang out with courageous people. If you want to be more generous, hang out with generous people. On the other hand, if you want to be more narcissistic, hang out with self-absorbed folks and watch reality TV. That too will rub off on you.

  If you want to be less violent, hang out with folks who are nonviolent.

  Surround yourself with people who remind you of Jesus—and they will move you closer to him.

  Consider

  This

  MATTHEW 5

  Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

  He said:

  “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  Blessed are those who mourn,

  for they will be comforted.

  Blessed are the meek,

  for they will inherit the earth.

  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

  for they will be filled.

  Blessed are the merciful,

  for they will be shown mercy.

  Blessed are the pure in heart,

  for they will see God.

  Blessed are the peacemakers,

  for they will be called children of God.

  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

  “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.

  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

  “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

  “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

  “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

  fifteen

  The Third Way of Jesus

  The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.

  —G. K. Chesterton

  CATHOLIC PRIEST DANIEL BERRIGAN is a legendary peacemaker. Among other things, he helped launch the Plowshares movement, where people of faith take tools and symbolically disarm nuclear weapons, enacting the prophecy of Micah and Isaiah that inspires us. I (Shane) had the chance to be with Dan on several occasions before he passed in 2016. One of Dan’s many great lines is, “The making of peace is at least as costly as the making of war—at least as exigent, at least as disruptive, at least as liable to bring disgrace and prison and death in its wake.”1 Dan often said, of Jesus’s call for us to suffer and die, “If you want to follow Jesus, you had better look good on wood.”2 His life taught me a lesson: it’s not that we have tried the way of the cross and it has failed us, but that we never really tried the cross. We have found it impractical, or maybe we think it is a great idea for individuals to aspire to, but it’s unrealistic to think we can really “love our enemies” in a world of ISIS and mass shooters. Let’s take a moment to consider the narrow way of Jesus that leads to life.

  Scientists say that our brains develop in ways that have predictable patterns.3 Some of the responses are involuntary, like blushing when we are embarrassed or tearing up when something moves us. Even what moves us to tears can be developed and shaped by our experiences and memories. But what’s interesting is that some of our brain tissue actually forms in ways that determine our responses to situations. It may be why kids are so imaginative and older folks often have a hard time doing something different than how they’ve done it for thirty years.

  I heard one scientist say that it’s kind of like our brain develops “ruts” and we are conditioned to stay in the ruts, to act in predictable ways. In fact, one mark of intelligence is the ability to think outside the box, to solve problems in innovative ways.4

  Criminologists say that one of the quickest ways to diffuse violence is with surprise. Those who commit violence depend on the predictability of their victims. They are mentally prepared for their victims to respond in one of two ways—fight or flight. They are expecting the victim to try to run or to fight back. But when victims do something unconventional that surprises them, it throws the whole plan out of whack, and they are caught off guard. In many cases, the surprise response creates a liminal space that allows just enough psychological wiggle room for miracles to happen—or, some would contend, a perfectly reasonable, scientific mental response.5

  It’s often called “the third way of Jesus.”

  Michael Nagler, in his excellent book Is There No Other Way?, gives example after example of creative ways people have reacted to violence or assault that has disarmed the aggressor or saved their lives. Some of them are not that intentional or complicated. For example, one woman was so petrified and startled by a burglar that her first response was to ask him what time it was. It threw him off, and by the time he answered her, she had already started lecturing him about how he was better than what he was doing, could have just asked her for help, should have never broken the window, and was rude for coming in the middle of the night. Before long, she had cooked him a meal and sent him on his way. Now, not all the stories end like that. But there are lots of stories where folks have been even more intentional and remained steadfast in their faith and committed to the way of the cross—and amazing things happened.

  Author and professor Walter Wink does brilliant work demonstrating the creativity Jesus has in his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount with the familiar “turn the other cheek” verse. Wink
points out that Jesus was not suggesting that we sadistically let people step all over us. Jesus taught enemy-love with imagination. He gave three specific examples of how to interact with our adversaries. In each instance, Jesus was pointing us toward something that disarms others. He taught us to refuse to oppose evil on its own terms. He invited us to transcend passivity and violence by finding a third way.6

  First, when hit on the cheek, turn and look the person in the eye. Do not cower down, and do not punch them back. Make sure they look into your eyes and see your sacred humanity, and it will become increasingly harder for them to hurt you.

  This relates to a second example. Only the poor were subject to such abuse. If a poor person was being sued and had nothing at all, they could be taken to court for their outer garment (Deut. 24:10–13), which was not uncommon to peasants who had lost everything to wealthy landlords and tax collectors. So here Jesus was telling impoverished debtors, who had nothing but the clothes on their backs, to strip naked and expose the greed of the repo man. Nakedness was taboo for Jews, but the shame fell less on the naked party and more on the person who looked on or caused the nakedness (Gen. 9:20–27). In essence, “You want my coat? You can have it. You can even have my undies, but you cannot have my soul or my dignity.”

  Here is another instance of dealing with the troubles of everyday life: “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles” (Matt. 5:41). This may seem like a strange scenario, but for first-century Jews it was a common occurrence to be asked to walk a mile with a soldier. With no Humvees or tanks, soldiers traveled by foot and carried large amounts of gear, so they were dependent on civilians to carry their supplies. Plenty of zealots were probably listening to Jesus and shook their fists in the air when he asked them to walk with a soldier. Roman law specified that civilians had to walk one mile, but that’s all. In fact, going a second mile was an infraction of the military code because one mile was the limit (not to mention that it was simply absurd for a Jew to befriend an occupying soldier and want to walk an extra mile with him). It is a beautiful scene to imagine a soldier asking for his backpack but the person insisting on another mile. This would force the soldier to get to know them, not as an enemy, but as a person. The Jew/Christian could talk with them and woo them into the movement with love.