{"id":48727,"date":"2018-08-03T15:32:31","date_gmt":"2018-08-03T22:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?p=48727"},"modified":"2018-08-03T15:32:31","modified_gmt":"2018-08-03T22:32:31","slug":"christ-non-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/christ-non-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"CHRIST and the Six Principles of Non-Violence"},"content":{"rendered":"
It was Friday afternoon, around 12:30. The Muslim Friday Jumah prayer was supposed to begin, and 107 Muslims had gathered. But as they were washing their feet and faces, and laying out their prayer rugs, the authorities called me on the phone and told me to cancel the Jumah prayer. <\/p>\n
I am a white Christian pastor. I work in a prison as a chaplain. <\/p>\n
But due to a looming security concern, I had no other choice, and went and informed the gathering Muslims that Jumah had been canceled for that day. <\/p>\n
The seething anger directed my way was palpable. All 107 Muslims stood up, glared at me, and started to gather around. I sensed that how I responded in the next few seconds would determine whether I lived or died that day. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t cancel the Jumah prayer,\u201d said the Imam of the group. \u201cIt\u2019s mandatory. It\u2019s required.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I know,\u201d I calmly responded. \u201cBut there is a security concern, and until it\u2019s resolved, everybody is required to return to their housing units.\u201d In a prison, security takes precedence even over religion, but even still, nobody likes to have their religious service cancelled. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo what are we supposed to do, Chaplain?\u201d asked the Imam. \u201cAllah demands that we pray, but you are demanding we not pray. Who do you think we should obey?\u201d <\/p>\n
The crowd of Muslims pressed in closer to hear how I would respond. My mind raced, and I knew that the security concern could quickly escalate into a security crisis (and possibly a riot) depending on the next words out of my mouth. <\/p>\n
It is very difficult to practice nonviolence in a system that is inherently and purposefully built upon the principles of violence. The central principal of violence is that you get what you want by having a bigger stick. You may not always use the stick; sometimes having it is enough. This idea was immortalized in Teddy Roosevelt\u2019s famous explanation of his foreign policy: \u201cSpeak softly, and carry a big stick.\u201d As long as your stick is bigger than your enemy\u2019s, this should be enough to deter him from war. <\/p>\n
The prison system, in which I work, is founded on this principal. By their very nature, prisons take people who have engaged in various forms of violence and put them in a situation where they have very few sticks at their disposal, while all the guards and prison staff have much larger sticks. The big stick principal is what keeps the prison relatively safe and secure. <\/p>\n
But the big sticks are not what you think. Despite the common perception, most prison staff in the west no longer carry weapons of any kind. Guards do not have guns or even billy clubs. They typically are \u201carmed\u201d only with a radio. Outmanned and overpowered, the modern prison guard is trained to use their minds and their mouths to maintain peace inside a prison. <\/p>\n
But it doesn\u2019t always work. And when it doesn\u2019t, riots break out, people are killed, and yes, this is when the guns are brought in. Though even then, only non-lethal munitions are used. <\/p>\n
Working in the prison system as I do, I have found a \u201cweapon\u201d that is even more powerful than the radio. And it is the constant \u201cradio connection\u201d I have with God. <\/p>\n
So in that moment, as the Muslims angrily waited for my answer, I quickly asked God for wisdom on what to say. And He showed me. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou should pray,\u201d I said. <\/p>\n
There was a collective gasp by the Muslims. <\/p>\n
I could sense their thoughts. Was the chaplain mocking them? Or was he actually telling prison inmates to disobey an order? <\/em> <\/p>\n But I continued. \u201cNobody is demanding that you not pray. I invite you to pray. I want you to pray. I ask you to pray. I hope that you will pray. But today, because of the security concern, you are going to have to pray down in your housing units. Allah is powerful, is he not? He will hear your prayers there just as well as he will hear them in this place. So pray to Allah that this situation would be resolved quickly and peacefully. Then maybe we can get you back up here to the chapel a little later this afternoon for your communal Jumah prayer.\u201d <\/p>\n They started at me, still trying to decide how to respond. <\/p>\n I waited. <\/p>\n Finally, the Imam turned to the gathered Muslims and said, \u201cThe Chaplain is right. Allah can hear our prayers and work to resolve this situation quickly. We will return to our housing units.\u201d <\/p>\n Later that afternoon, I was indeed able to make arrangements for the Muslims to return to the Chapel for their afternoon Jumah prayer. It was late, but at least it was done. The Muslims praised Allah for hearing and answering their prayers, and I praised Jesus for answering mine. <\/p>\n