re: Power of Prayer >No Matter Which Faith YouFollow=GOD is With You
The Weakness of Violence
“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword.”
Matthew 26:52
“London Is Burning.” That was one of the headlines during the violent August 2011 protests in England’s capital city. The uproar began when police shot and killed a twenty-six-year-old man. In response, rioters created mayhem across London and other British cities, killing at least five people and injuring others. Whether the violence was a result of simple thuggery or social inequalities is a matter of debate. But what most people would not debate is that violence is no way to solve the problem.
Martin Luther King Jr. once elegantly explained why, pointing out that “the ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy . . . adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
When I was a teenager, I was so frustrated by a family member’s drinking problem that I was tempted to make a public spectacle of my anger, taking every last bottle of alcohol in the house and dumping the whole mess into the street. Maybe a heap of broken glass would finally make the point. Years later, after I had moved away from home and given my life to Christ, I realized that all my critical, argumentative comments had only added more darkness to the situation. So I resolved, instead, to do my best to love the person, pray faithfully, and speak the truth, but only when absolutely necessary. A few years passed and then, through an act of tremendous grace, the person I loved stopped drinking. That was more than twenty years ago.
Most of us aren’t guilty of taking our anger to the streets. But what happens in our homes when ugly arguments and critical attitudes do violence to the spirit? Let’s remember that hate is nothing but a ninety-pound weakling, too weak to win a fight with itself. Just as light is the only thing that can drive out darkness, the only thing strong enough to drive out hatred is God’s love.
Lord, you know how easy it is to get hooked into negative attitudes and arguments at home. Please help my family and me to find better ways of dealing with our difficulties.
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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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