JESUS INTRODUCES THE NEW MARTIAL-ART

OF CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE

Matthew 5:38-42

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 10/2/22

WE CONTINUE OUR EXPLORATION OF THE SINGLE

MOST IMPORTANT BODY OF TEACHING THAT WE HAVE

FROM JESUS: ​​ THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

IF ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS FOR DECIDING

IF A PARTICULAR TEACHING IS INSPIRED IS ITS STANDING

HEAD AND SHOULDERS​​ ABOVE​​ SIMILAR TEACHINGS OF THE DAY,

THEN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT CONTAINS​​ MANY

OF THE​​ MOST​​ INSPIRED TEACHINGS OF JESUS.

AND LOOKING AT THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AS A​​ WHOLE,

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE TEXT STANDS OUT AS A HIGH POINT

WITHIN THE SERMON ITSELF.

THIS IS BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IN THE WESTERN WORLD

HAD EVER TAUGHT​​ ANYTHING​​ LIKE​​ WHAT JESUS IS TEACHING HERE.

RETALIATION, OR EVEN MORE BLUNTLY,​​ REVENGE, WAS THE​​ NORM

IN JESUS’ DAY – JUST AS IT IS THE NORM IN​​ OUR​​ DAY.

MANY​​ ANCIENT CULTURES HAD A LAW SIMILAR TO JESUS’ CITATION

OF “AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH”

FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES.

WHAT IS​​ SURPRISING​​ IS JESUS’ PREFACING OF THIS LAW

WITH THE WORDS, “YOU​​ HAVE​​ HEARD​​ THAT IT WAS SAID. . .”

WHICH EMPHASIZES THE FACT THAT FOR JESUS,​​ 

THIS RATHER PRIMITIVE LAW HAD​​ RUN​​ ITS​​ COURSE,​​ 

AND THAT NOW WAS THE TIME FOR SOMETHING​​ NEW.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE​​ CONTENT​​ OF THIS SOMETHING NEW,

AS IS SO OFTEN THE CASE, HAS BEEN​​ MISREPRESENTED

IN OUR ENGLISH TRANSLATION.

ON THE FACE OF IT, “DO NOT RESIST AN EVILDOER”

CONTRADICTS​​ MUCH OF JESUS’ OWN MINISTRY,

IN WHICH HE OFTEN, AND POINTEDLY, DID JUST​​ THAT.

JUST THINK OF HOW​​ OFTEN​​ AND WITH WHAT​​ INTENSITY

JESUS RESISTED MANY OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES.

THE TRANSLATORS HAVE MISSED THE​​ NUANCES​​ OF THE GREEK,

WHICH SHOULD BE TRANSLATED “BUT I SAY TO YOU,

DO NOT RESIST EVIL​​ WITH​​ EVIL.”

FAR FROM TEACHING HIS FOLLOWERS TO BE​​ DOORMATS​​ –

JESUS IS CHALLENGING HIS FOLLOWERS TO​​ ACTIVELY​​ RESIST,

TO​​ TAKE​​ ON, EVILDOERS – BUT IN A​​ REVOLUTIONARY​​ NEW​​ WAY.

HE IS INVITING HIS DISCIPLES – INCLUDING​​ US​​ – TO PARTICIPATE

IN THE PRESENT AND COMING​​ REIGN​​ OF​​ GOD

INSTEAD​​ OF​​ FURTHERING THE VICIOUS CYCLE

OF​​ REVENGEFUL​​ RETALIATION.

JESUS DARES US TO TAKE​​ SURPRISING​​ INITIATIVES,​​ 

CREATIVE​​ AND​​ DISARMING MEASURES THAT JUST MIGHT​​ BREAK​​ UP

HATRED​​ AND​​ DISTRUST, AND MOVE TOWARD​​ 

SOME DEGREE OF​​ JUSTICE.

TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS IS GETTING AT​​ 

WHEN HE TELLS US TO TURN THE OTHER CHEEK,

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE​​ CULTURE​​ 

OUT OF WHICH JESUS IS SPEAKING.

IN JESUS’ CULTURE, IT WAS​​ FORBIDDEN​​ TO TOUCH SOMEONE

WITH THE​​ LEFT​​ HAND.

IT WAS COMMON, HOWEVER, FOR PERSONS WHO WANTED

TO EMPHASIZE THEIR AUTHORITY TO SLAP THEIR

SO-CALLED “INFERIORS” WITH THEIR RIGHT HAND.

THE CUSTOM WAS FOR THE SLAP TO ORIGINATE​​ 

FROM THE RIGHT HAND OF THE SO-CALLED “SUPERIOR” PERSON,

AND TERMINATE ON THE LEFT CHEEK OF THE​​ 

SO-CALLED “INFERIOR” PERSON.

A SLAP WITH THE RIGHT HAND ON THE LEFT CHEEK

WOULD HAVE TO BE A SLAP WITH THE​​ BACK​​ OF THE HAND.

THIS BACK-HANDED SLAP WOULD BE A GRAVE​​ INSULT

TO SOMEONE’S​​ HONOR.

IT WAS A WAY OF CALLING SOMEONE​​ WORTHLESS​​ – OR​​ WORSE​​ –

WITHOUT HAVING TO USE​​ WORDS.

IT WAS THE WAY OF MANY OF THE LEADERS​​ 

OF THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT – THE SCRIBES,​​ 

THE PHARISEES, AND THE PRIESTS – TO KEEP THEIR SERVANTS​​ 

AND THOSE OF INFERIOR RANK,​​ IN​​ THEIR​​ PLACE.

IT WAS THE WAY OF ROMAN SOLDIERS WITH JEWISH PEASANTS.

JESUS INSTRUCTS HIS FOLLOWERS TO CHALLENGE THIS​​ ABUSIVE,

VIOLENT​​ WAY WITH THE WAY OF​​ CREATIVE​​ NONVIOLENCE.

TO TURN THE​​ OTHER​​ CHEEK IN SUCH A SITUATION

IS NOT SIMPLY TO​​ PUT​​ UP​​ WITH THE INSULT.

TO TURN ONE’S​​ RIGHT​​ CHEEK TO THE ABUSIVE PARTY

MEANT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SLAP YOU​​ 

WITH THE​​ PALM​​ OF THEIR RIGHT HAND.

AND IN THAT CULTURE SLAPPING WITH THE PALM

OF THE RIGHT HAND WAS A GESTURE RESERVED

FOR ONE’S SOCIAL​​ EQUALS.

THUS, TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK, FAR FROM BEING A​​ SUBMISSIVE,

DOORMAT​​ GESTURE, IS ACTUALLY A BOLD ASSERTION​​ 

OF ONE’S​​ DIGNITY.

IT IS A WAY OF​​ STANDING​​ ONE’S​​ GROUND;

IT IS A WAY OF​​ CLAIMING​​ EQUALITY;

IT IS A WAY OF​​ MAKING​​ THE​​ OTHER​​ PERSON​​ STOP​​ AND​​ THINK.

IT MAY, OF COURSE, LEAD TO A​​ SECOND​​ SLAP;

OR IT MAY​​ SURPRISE​​ THE ARROGANT PERSON INTO REALIZING

THAT YOU POSSESS AN UNEXPECTED KIND OF​​ PERSONAL​​ PRESENCE.

WHAT WOULD JESUS’ CHALLENGE TO HIS DISCIPLES​​ 

TO “TURN THE OTHER CHEEK” LOOK LIKE​​ TODAY?

IT WOULD LOOK EXACTLY LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING

AND HIS FOLLOWERS NOT RETALIATING VIOLENTLY AGAINST

SEGREGATIONIST RACISTS, BUT MARCHING NONVIOLENTLY​​ 

IN THE FACE OF STONES, POLICE DOGS, BEATINGS, AND FIRE HOSES.

THIS SHOCKED OUR WORLD INTO A NEW KIND OF AWARENESS

OF THE INJUSTICE OF RACISM,​​ 

AND A NEW KIND OF RESPECT FOR THE SELF-DISCIPLINE

OF THE NONVIOLENT PROTEST.

THE SECOND EXAMPLE OF CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE​​ 

THAT JESUS SUGGESTS READS “IF ANYONE WANTS TO SUE YOU

AND TAKE YOUR COAT, GIVE YOUR CLOAK AS WELL.”

WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE COMPLICATED MEANING

OF COATS AND CLOAKS IN​​ JESUS’ WORLD,

SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT A MORE UNDERSTANDABLE

ENGLISH TRANSLATION WOULD READ:

“IF ANYONE WANTS TO SUE YOU FOR YOUR​​ SHIRT,

LET HIM HAVE YOUR​​ COAT​​ AS WELL.”

THE POINT IS THAT YOU ARE BEING SUED IN COURT

FOR YOUR TUNIC, A NIGHTSHIRT-LIKE GARMENT,

WHICH IN PLAIN ENGLISH IS THE SHIRT OFF YOUR BACK.

WHAT WAS GOING ON IN JESUS’ DAY WAS THIS:

THE WEALTHY HAD RIGGED THINGS UP SO THAT NOT ONLY

WOULD THEY STRIP THE POOR OF THEIR​​ LAND-HOLDINGS,

THEY WOULD LITERALLY STRIP THE POOR​​ 

OF THEIR​​ CLOTHING​​ AS WELL.

WE HAVE MULTIPLE RECORDS OF LAWSUITS IN WHICH

THE RICH WOULD SUE THE POOR FOR THEIR VERY UNDERGARMENT,

LEAVING THEM WITH ONLY THEIR COAT, OR CLOAK,

WITH WHICH TO COVER THEMSELVES.

FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A LAW AGAINST SUING A PERSON

FOR THEIR CLOAK, FOR THIS WAS OFTEN THE ONLY THING

A POOR PERSON HAD TO KEEP WARM AT NIGHT.

THE SHOCKINGLY UNJUST ECONOMIC SYSTEM IN THE TIME OF JESUS

LEFT MANY PEOPLE SO POOR THAT ALL THEY HAD WAS ONE PIECE

OF UNDERSLOTHING – WHAT WE WOULD CALL A TUNIC –

AND THEIR BATHROBE-LIKE COAT.

JESUS IS TALKING PRECISELY TO THESE POOR

AND SUGGESTS A SHOCKING ALTERNATIVE.

HE PROPOSES THAT IF A RICH PERSON TAKES YOU TO COURT

TO GET YOUR UNDERGARMENT, OR​​ TUNIC, THAT YOU GIVE HIM

YOUR OUTER​​ COAT​​ AS WELL, THUS STANDING​​ NAKED

BEFORE YOUR ACCUSER.

THE POINT IS TO REVEAL YOUR ACCUSER’S​​ GREED

IN ALL​​ ITS​​ NAKEDNESS.

JESUS’ THIRD EXAMPLE OF CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE IS:

“IF ANYONE FORCES YOU TO GO ONE MILE,

GO ALSO THE SECOND MILE.”

HERE THE CONTEXT IS THAT IN JESUS’ DAY A ROMAN SOLDIER

OCCUPYING JUDEA AND GALILEE HAD THE RIGHT TO DEMAND

THAT A JEWISH PERSON CARRY HIS PACK ONE MILE.

NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE JEWISH PEOPLE NOT ONLY RESENTED

THE ROMAN OCCUPATION IN GENERAL,​​ 

BUT THIS FORCED CARRYING OF PACKS IN PARTICULAR.

WHAT TO DO?

THE​​ ZEALOTS​​ IN ISRAEL ADVOCATED​​ VIOLENCE

AGAINST THE OCCUPYING FORCE.

THEY HAD​​ ASSASSINATED​​ QUITE A FEW ROMAN SOLDIERS,

PROVOKING MANY​​ CRUCIFIXIONS​​ OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE

BY THE ROMANS IN​​ RETALIATION.

THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF VIOLENCE REMAINED​​ INTACT.

JESUS ADVOCATED A NONVIOLENT​​ SURPRISE:

CARRY THE DREADED PACK A​​ SECOND​​ MILE.

IN NONE OF THESE NONVIOLENT SURPRISES IS JESUS SAYING:

“COMPLY WITH​​ OPPRESSION​​ AND LIVE IN POWERLESS​​ RESENTMENT.”

INSTEAD, HE TEACHES US TO DO SOMETHING ON OUR​​ 

OWN INITIATIVE, UNDER OUR OWN POWER, SOMETHING THAT WE

ARE NOT FORCED TO DO, SOMETHING​​ SURPRISING​​ THAT IS

IN ITSELF​​ A​​ FORM​​ OF​​ RESISTANCE.

IT IS A NONVIOLENT INITIATIVE THAT​​ CONFRONTS​​ THE INJUSTICE.

IT SHIFTS FROM RESENTFUL POWERLESSNESS TO THE POWER

OF OUR OWN SURPRISING INITIATIVE, AN INITIATIVE WHICH CALLS

OUR ADVERSARY TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS

OF WHAT HE OR SHE IS ACTUALLY​​ DOING.

IN THE SEGREGATIONIST SOUTH OF THE 1950’S,​​ 

AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEOPLE FELT POWERLESS.

THEN, IN THE 1960’S, MILLIONS CARRIED OUT BOYCOTTS​​ 

AND MARCHES AND FILLED THE JAILS, WITH AMAZING

SELF-DISCIPLINE, WITH NO ACTION OF REVENGEFUL VIOLENCE.

THIS CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE TURNED THE SEGREGATED WORLD UPSIDE DOWN, AND MADE A POWERFUL APPEAL

TO THE WHOLE NATION’S SENSE OF JUSTICE.

ALTHOUGH THE GOSPELS DO NOT MENTION IT, I STRONGLY SUSPECT

THAT JESUS HIMSELF HAD PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY

TO​​ PERSONALLY​​ PRACTICE​​ WHAT HE​​ PREACHED.

WE KNOW FROM HISTORY THAT WHEN JESUS​​ 

WAS​​ ELEVEN YEARS OLD, THERE WAS A TEMPORARILY

SUCCESSFUL JEWISH UPRISING IN WHICH ZEALOTS OCCUPIED

THE CITY OF SEPPHORIS, ONLY FOUR MILES DISTANT

FROM NAZARETH.

IN RETALIATION, THE ROMANS SENT A LEGION,

BURNED THE CITY TO THE GROUND, AND, AS A WARNING

TO THE REST OF THE PEOPLE IN GALILEE, CRUCIFIED 2000​​ 

RANDOMLY CHOSEN PEOPLE ALONG THE MAJOR ROAD

THAT CONNECTED BOTH SEPPHORIS AND NARZARETH

WITH THE WIDER WORLD.

JESUS MUST HAVE WALKED THIS ROAD AND SEEN​​ 

THESE CRUCIFIXIONS FIRST-HAND.

THE ROMANS BECAME PARTICULARLY ABUSIVE AFTER THIS REVOLT,

AND I CAN SEE JESUS BEING CONSCRIPTED TO CARRY​​ 

A ROMAN SOLDIER’S PACK THE REQUIRED MILE,

PROBABLY NOT JUST ONCE, BUT MANY TIMES.

I CAN ALSO SEE HIM, EVEN AS A YOUNG ADULT,

OFFERING TO CARRY THAT PACK AN EXTRA MILE, AND RECEIVING

SOME SURPRISING RESPONSES FROM ROMAN SOLDIERS AS A RESULT.

LET US NOW FAST FORWARD TO JESUS’ PUBLIC MINISTRY,

A MINISTRY IN WHICH HE TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES TO PRACTICE

WHAT WE’VE JUST HEARD.

IMAGINE, IF YOU WILL, ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES​​ 

BEING ROUGHLY ORDERED TO CARRY A ROMAN SOLDIER’S PACK

FOR THE REQUIRED MILE, AND THEN SIMPLY​​ CONTINUING​​ TO​​ WALK

WITH THAT ROMAN SOLDIER, PACK STILL ON BACK.

IMAGINE, FURTHER, THAT JESUS’ DISCIPLE

ENGAGES THE ROMAN SOLDIER IN​​ CONVERSATION.

ROMAN SOLDIERS MIGHT LEARN HOW JEWISH PEOPLE

FELT ABOUT THE OCCUPATION,

AND JEWISH PEOPLE MIGHT LEARN HOW ROMAN SOLDIERS

FELT ABOUT OCCUPYING A RESENTFUL POPULATION.

A DISCIPLE MIGHT EVEN ASK ABOUT THE ROMAN SOLDIER’S​​ FAMILY.

WE CAN IMAGINE A CERTAIN ROMAN CENTURION​​ 

ASKING​​ WHY​​ THIS DISCIPLE OF JESUS IS CARRYING HIS PACK

A​​ SECOND​​ MILE.

WE CAN IMAGINE THE DISCIPLE, IN TURN, DESCRIBING JESUS’ WAY

OF DISCIPLESHIP AND PEACEMAKING, AND HOW JESUS WAS HEALING

NOT ONLY HATRED AGAINST THE ROMANS,

BUT ALSO LITERALLY HEALING THE BLIND, THE LEPERS,​​ 

THE PARALYZED, AND PEOPLE WITH ALL SORTS OF ILLNESSES.

WE CAN IMAGINE THIS PARTICULAR ROMAN CENTURION

THEN SEARCHING OUT JESUS FOR HIMSELF AND BEGGING HIM

TO HEAL HIS SICK SERVANT, TELLING JESUS THAT HE HAD FAITH​​ 

THAT HE COULD DO THIS, AND JESUS COMMENDING THE ROMAN

FOR THAT FAITH.

IN SHORT, CREATIVE​​ NONVIOLENCE​​ CAN ACCOMPLISH THINGS

THAT​​ NO​​ AMOUNT​​ OF​​ VIOLENCE​​ COULD ACCOMPLISH.

THE FOURTH TRANSFORMING INITIATIVE, THAT OF GIVING​​ 

TO THOSE WHO BEG, TURNS THE TABLES.

NOW WE, THE DISCIPLES, ARE NOT CONFRONTING AN OPPRESSOR;

INSTEAD, A PERSON POORER THAN OURSELVES CONFRONTS​​ US.

AGAIN, JESUS CALLS ON US TO DO SOMETHING

QUITE OUT OF THE ORDINARY.

INSTEAD OF​​ CURSING​​ THE PERSON IN NEED –

AS MANY WOULD HAVE DONE IN JESUS’ DAY –

OR​​ IGNORING​​ THE APPEAL – AS MANY DO IN OUR DAY –

JESUS ENCOURAGES US TO​​ HONOR​​ THE​​ REQUEST.

THIS SIMPLE ACT OF GRACIOUSNESS WOULD HAVE​​ BEEN

SO SURPRISING TO THOSE IN NEED IN JESUS’ DAY,

AND WOULD​​ BE​​ SO SURPRISING TO THOSE IN NEED IN OUR DAY –

THAT IT WOULD BE EXPERIENCED AS A TASTE OF GOD’S KINGDOM

HERE ON EARTH.

THE​​ COMMON​​ ELEMENT IN ALL THE EXAMPLES MENTIONED​​ 

IN TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING IS THE ELEMENT OF​​ SURPRISE.

PEOPLE THEN AND PEOPLE NOW ARE SO USED TO VERBAL​​ 

AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE THAT WHEN SOMEONE EMBODIES

A CREATIVELY NONVIOLENT ALTERNATIVE THEY, IN TURN,

ARE SOMETIMES SO SURPRISED THAT THEY DROP

THEIR VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.

FORTUNATELY WE DON’T LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE SLAPPING

IS CONDONED OR WHERE WE HAVE TO CARRY THE GEAR

OF AN OCCUPYING SOLDIER.

BUT THE PRINCIPLE OF CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE AND THE ELEMENT​​ 

OF SURPRISE ARE STILL VERY RELEVANT TO SITUATIONS​​ 

WE ENCOUNTER EVERY DAY.

I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A HUMOROUS EXAMPLE

OF CREATIVE SURPRISE FROM A RECENT ISSUE

OF​​ THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY.

MIKE GRAVES, OF MISSOURI, WRITES:

“WHEN A COLLEAGUE AND I WERE INVITED TO BE PART OF

A FORMER STUDENT’S INSTALLATION SERVICE, WE AGREED

ENTHUSIASTICALLY AND TRAVELED TOGETHER TO HIS TOWN.

JOE HAD MANY FAMILY MEMBERS COMING TO THE SERVICE,

SO WE WERE SURPRISED WHEN HE TOLD US THAT​​ 

WE WERE ALL GOING TO EAT OUT THAT EVENING.

I WONDERED HOW 19 OF US WERE GOING TO GET​​ 

IN AND OUT OF A RESTAURANT IN TIME FOR CHURCH.

I SUGGESTED THAT MY COLLEAGUE AND I GO AHEAD

TO THE RESTAURANT AND PUT OUR NAME ON THE WAITING LIST.

THE RESTAURANT WAS PACKED. ​​ I WIGGLED THROUGH THE CROWD

TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE AND FOUND AN AMISH MAN

STANDING BEHIND AN OLD PULPIT.

NEXT TO HIM WAS A HAND-CARVED SIGN: ​​ ‘PLEASE DO​​ NOT

GIVE YOUR NAME UNTIL​​ EVERYONE​​ IN YOUR PARTY IS​​ PRESENT.’

I UNDERSTOOD THE REASON FOR THE RESTAURANT’S POLICY,

BUT I ALSO KNEW THAT IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME​​ 

FOR A TABLE FOR 19 TO BE READY.

I SAID, ‘YES, THE NAME IS GRAVES, PARTY OF 19.’

THE AMISH MAN WITH HIS BEARD AND HAT LOOKED AT ME

AND SAID, ‘AND IS YOUR​​ WHOLE​​ PARTY PRESENT?’

HALTINGLY I SAID, ‘YES.’

OK, I LIED. ​​ BUT IT WASN’T AS IF I WERE TRYING​​ 

TO BEAT THE SYSTEM. ​​ AFTER ALL, EVEN THE SMALLER PARTIES

WERE WAITING FOR 30 MINUTES, SO WE’D BE PUTTING IN

OUR WAITING TIME TOO. ​​ NO BIG DEAL.

BUT MY COLLEAGUE DISAGREED. ​​ 

‘YOU LIED TO THE​​ AMISH?’ HE SAID.

‘YOU SHOULDN’T LIE TO THE AMISH.’

‘BY THE TIME THEY CALL OUR NAME,’ I SAID,​​ 

‘JOE AND HIS FAMILY WILL BE HERE.’

TWO MINUTES LATER CAME THE ANNOUNCEMENT:

‘GRAVES, PARTY OF 19.’

I WENT BACK TO THE AMISH MAN AND SAID,​​ 

‘YES, THE GRAVES PARTY – WELL, UH, WE’RE NOT ALL HERE YET.’

I WAS NERVOUS NOW.

THE MAN LOOKED ME IN THE EYES AND ASKED, ‘DID YOU LIE?’

DEAD SILENCE.

IT WAS AS IF WE WERE IN CHURCH. ​​ THE PEOPLE

IMMEDIATELY AROUND US WAITED, WIDE-EYED AND WONDERING.

I REPLIED SOFTLY, ‘YES, I LIED.’

‘COME WITH ME,’ HE SAID.

I COULDN’T IMAGINE WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO.

WHAT KIND OF PUNISHMENT DO THE AMISH

HAND OUT TO LIARS?

I PICTURED STOCKS OR CANING.

WE FOLLOWED HIM THROUGH THE RESTAURANT TO THE BACK,

WHERE HE OPENED THE DOOR TO A BANQUET ROOM.

A HUGE TABLE WAS SET WITH BREAD AND JAMS.

HE OFFERED A GENTLE SMILE.

‘HAVE SOME BREAD. ​​ YOU ARE FORGIVEN.’”

(PAUSE)

MAY GOD BLESS OUR OWN ATTEMPTS TO PRACTICE

CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE AND OUR OWN INSPIRATIONS

TO SURPRISE PEOPLE WITH GOD’S GRACE.

AMEN.