God’s action in the world is not based on violence, but on nonviolence. God does not use force, coercion, or domination to achieve God’s purposes, but rather love, compassion, and justice. God does not inflict pain, but rather suffers with and for those who are in pain. God does not exclude, but rather embraces all people, even those who are enemies. God does not impose, but rather invites us to participate in the mission of reconciliation and transformation.
This is the message of the cross of Jesus, who incarnated God’s nonviolent love in the world. Jesus was a victim of violence, like many other “crucified people” who are oppressed, marginalized, and exploited by the powers of evil. He was a witness of God’s scandalous grace, who forgave and prayed for those who crucified Him. Jesus was also a sign of God’s vulnerability, who did not cling to His divine status, but emptied Himself and became human. Jesus was a promise of God’s victory, who rose from the dead and conquered sin, death, and evil.
The cross of Jesus challenges us to rethink our understanding of God, ourselves, and others. The cross reveals God’s metacosmic love, which transcends all boundaries and reaches out to all creation. The cross reveals our need for God’s grace, which frees us from our guilt, shame, and fear. The cross reveals our call to God’s mission, which empowers us to follow Jesus in His way of nonviolence, service, and sacrifice. The cross reveals our hope in God’s future, which assures us of God’s presence and power in our lives.
Prayer
Loving and compassionate God, we come before You today to reflect on the nonviolent love that Jesus Christ embodied and taught us. We thank You for the example of Jesus, who was a victim of violence yet chose nonviolence in His response. We acknowledge the transformative power of His love, which turned swords into plowshares, hostility into reconciliation, alienation into community, and hatred into forgiveness.
We recognize the call to participate in the mission of reconciliation and transformation, to embrace all people as You have embraced us, and to invite others to join us in this journey of nonviolence. We are reminded of the cross of Jesus, which is a symbol of Your metacosmic love, transcending all boundaries and reaching out to all creation.
Lord, we pray for the grace to be free from guilt, shame, and fear, and to be empowered by Your call to follow Jesus in His way of nonviolence, service, and sacrifice. We pray for the strength to resist the temptation to use violence as a means to an end, and instead, to embody the love and justice that You have shown us through Jesus.
We ask for Your guidance in our daily lives, that we may live in accordance with Your commandment to love one another as You have loved us. We pray for the wisdom to understand the depth of Your love and the power of nonviolence to bring about peace and justice in our world.
Grant us the courage to stand against injustice, to speak truth to power, and to act in ways that reflect the love and compassion of Jesus. May we be instruments of Your peace, working tirelessly to overcome fear with trust, injury with pardon, and hatred with nonviolent love.
In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
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