Prompt 56: January 2, 2026
“Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
Matthew 26:52-54
Any ‘-ism’ that goes against the prevailing culture is ripe for mischaracterization and open to brief dismissal as legitimate or practical. This topic of pacifism however, is potentially the most legitimate or practical issue that can inform our lives. Because of the tendency of nay-sayers to cheaply dismiss such a position, consider these few key definitions on the subject:
Shandon’s key points informed by Mennonite tradition (supporting details in italics):
- “You shall not kill.” (Exodus 20:13) Most translations translate the commandment to “murder”, but a footnote in the ESV study Bible states [The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence.]
- Pacifism is not a dichotomy. Our choices are never experienced in black/white, we can act creatively in any situation to avoid violent means.
- Pacifism is not passive. To avoid being in the position of violent means, vigilance and tactfulness is required of anyone navigating uncertain times.
- If the current situation is so dire that violence is necessary, then God’s path forward is not realized. The miraculous happens where it is not expected.
- Pacifism is not just about violence against others, it is a general faith that God’s will is different than our will. The Lord’s prayer clearly directs our own ego toward faith in God’s providence.
- Any positive that comes from war is always overshadowed by the negatives. Pacifism in politics is total refusal to participate in war.
- Pacifists themselves do not condemn those who use violence. For a sampling of how this has been lived, read the stories of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.
We have a unique privilege in 21st century America to think about such things abstractly. Few of us have faced deadly force and are unlikely to join the “melee of history”, so we are likely to forget the immediate consequences from either side of this topic. Let us then consider how we live these principles out; in times of peace and in strife. Do not let this be a mental exercise, but act toward the resolutions that come from this discussion.
The thread is open. Create boldly, and may the Spirit guide us all