‘Enemy love’ instead of pacifism
by Berry Friesen, Lancaster, Pa.I commend Ted Grimsrud for his letter (Feb. 6) attempting to rescue from caricature the view that enemy love is a serious option for everyone to follow. Given our experience and our heritage, we think of this as a religious teaching, rooted in how God in Christ has regarded us. But isn’t it also a wise teaching, reflecting the recognition that in many situations our well-being is inextricably connected with our enemy’s? Both Grimsrud’s letter and the article to which he responded used “pacifism” as the jumping off point. That word, with its propositional and declarative qualities, demands that people choose one road or the other. If we instead use a phrase such as enemy love, we may find it easier to turn the focus from ourselves and our righteousness toward the salvation that God in Christ is bringing to pass for all creation.
Associated Issue: A landscape of change - Feb. 6, 2007
Current Stories
Articles
News stories, digests and Meno Acontecer
- MCC shipping supplies to displaced Iraqis
- Beninese health center wins award
- Anabaptist Network a tool for young adults
- Flores to lead missional church effort
- Bluffton debuts online literary journal
- Mennonite church supports Harding ministry
- K-12 schools now evaluated by MC USA
- MC USA delegation sees Congo growth
Columns
- Of what spirit are you?
- Do not answer violence with violence
- Retrieve, rehab, recover
- Church-to-church, person-to-person