14 Jul More reflections on violence…
14th July 2026
I mentioned a time or two that I was privileged to be invited to a Roundtable on Domestic, Family, and Sexual Violence. Held for Religious & Community Leaders, it was instructive, quite sad at times, but very useful for the work of Christ’s church here in Wagga. I have more community resources & connections now as well as some deeper insight into how our closest relationships can become dangerous places.
What also struck me was how divergent our views are on violence, in general, across the community. That alone was odd to me. I was given a chance to see the world from outside what I thought was a fairly “normal” frame of reference. To be specific…I thought almost everyone would make a distinction between appropriate levels of violence and abhorrent violence. Abhorrent violence in my mind is the violence the Roundtable was called to address; violence that was coercive, damaging, or deadly that often involves the powerful over against the weaker.
Involved in the Roundtable were several Police Officers, each carrying a minimum of three tools of violence: a loaded sidearm, an extendable carbon-fibre baton, & a Taser. Each officer is trained to use those tools of violence in appropriate contexts & with appropriate force, and we want them to do so. In fact, when the Islamic terrorists were shooting Jewish worshippers on Bondi Beach we wanted the police on scene to respond with terminal force using their loaded sidearms. If someone is attacking a family member or loved one violently, I suspect most of us would intervene in kind up to the point of getting everyone out of harm’s way. That’s appropriate violence of the kind of which former Pope Benedict XVI speaks: “An absolute pacifism, that denies the law any and all coercive measures, would be capitulation to injustice, would sanction its seizure of power, and would abandon the world to the dictates of violence.” In short, the pacifist is always on the side of the oppressor. In a broken world, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “It is not enough that we should simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.” At some point, appropriate violence is required to stop the abhorrently violent. Not everyone at the Roundtable would have agreed with either the pope of Pastor Bonhoeffer, and that surprised me.
I was not surprised that in a roomful of people in Wagga, few would be followers of Jesus. We’ve talked at length about the distressingly few among our regular relationships who enjoy life in Christ now, much less eternally, so that I was in a decided minority in that Roundtable was no shock. But how few would readily accept even the slightest Biblical wisdom… “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” – Isaiah 1:17 “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people.” – Psalm 82:3-4 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” – Proverbs 31:8-9 While not specifically advocating violence, at some point, appropriate violence is required to stop the abhorrently violent & foster relief, rescue, safety, justice, & to defend those who can’t defend themselves, until the day Isaiah’s other promise is fulfilled, “Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there.” – Isaiah 60:18-19 Even Jesus’ admonitions, “do not resist an evil person” & “turn the other cheek,” (Matthew 5:38ff) are commands to limit the perpetual score settling, “eye for an eye” of the ancient world such that ultimate justice is God’s to administer. We operate in Christ to overthrow evil with good, but do not to stand idly by while the wicked wreak havoc and harm.
Let’s fill our calendars and daily journeys with opportunities to do good…
- Sunday July 19th – we conclude our worship & teaching Series: The Sign – The final week on the prophet Jonah. When people demanded “a sign for proof,” Jesus pointed to Jonah. A reluctant prophet. A pagan city. Three days in the depths. A message nobody expected & results no one imagined. But Jonah was the “sign” Jesus gave. His three days in darkness pointed to Christ’s three days in the tomb. His mission to a city far from God revealed God’s heart for people everywhere. The sign of Jonah reveals a God whose mercy reaches further than we imagine, whose love extends to people we might avoid, & whose call sends us well beyond our comfort zones to engage a broken world with God’s word.
- Sunday July 26th – we kick-off a new worship & teaching series on Joshua – Learning to be Different. Under Joshua’s leadership, God’s people stand on the border of their Promised homeland. They’re no longer slaves; they’re a people becoming a nation. They’re no longer wanderers; they’re about to become warriors. Soon they’ll be home builders, landholders, city dwellers…But they are still called to be faithful to Yahweh; devoted to the Covenant they received on their Exodus journey. Becoming the people God calls us to be is always a process of learning to be His in the varied & shifting circumstances of life. But God is always faithful to his promises even when we fail. God is always ready to reclaim & restore. God is always the architect of our days no matter the challenges & changes within them. Join us as we learn to be different under the joyous shaping of God’s hand on our lives.
- Wednesday July 22nd – 10:30 a.m. – Caloola Court Devotions.
- Saturday August 22nd – Albury Men’s Convention with Guest Speaker Malcolm Gill – We’ll have a car driving down…talk to Phil or me if you’re interested in going. It’s a great day of learning & fellowship with men from around the Riverina.
- And a few in the “Claim the Date” file:
- Tuesday 8th September – feeding the CSU UniChurch students! Details will come closer to the date.
- Sunday 27th September – Annual InterSport Lake-to-Lake Run-n-Ride – Worship begins at 12:00 noon with lunch in the Guide Hall
- Sunday 1st November – Living Water AGM immediately following worship.
That’s God giving you lots of opportunities to learn, grow & serve.
See you Sunday!
John
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