Palm Cross - Photo copyright 2012 John M. Kingery
Station 2: Jesus Falls for the First Time (Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ Peace Pole)
Theme: Jesus stands for Peace and nonviolence
Tema: Jesús está por la paz y no violencia
Scripture: Luke 6: 27
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you; pray for those who abuse you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who take your cloak, do not with hold even your tunic. “
Reflection by Patrick Berg of Holy Trinity Catholic Church: Jesus gave us an example of love for his enemies. When he was in the Garden and the temple guard came to arrest him Jesus instructed his followers not to resist, nor to protect him. “Put away your sword.” Jesus was silent at his trial before the Sanhedrin in the face of the lies uttered against him. Jesus was trying to tell us that there was a higher law than the instinctual urges in humans to protect themselves, their egos and their property. The greatest law was the law of love. That meant giving up everything, even life itself: total surrender to the Father’s will. For that is what Jesus does. He gives up his life to an unjust sentence to die an ignominious death on the cross.
So how can we come to grips with this total abandonment of Jesus to any self-defense and forgiveness? Where can we find it within us to love our enemies? Our culture is totally against such abandonment. We are considered helpless victims, whimps by most of society, even by our own family and friends.
Forty four years ago I decided that in my life total surrender meant giving up violence as a solution to the problems of the world. It meant registering with the draft as a conscientious objector. It meant a loss of face before my friends who were going off to serve in the military. “I was a draft dodger, a coward, a hopeless romantic who believed Jesus’ message of nonviolence and surrender.” It meant not being addressed by name in law school, being castigated as a legal aid lawyer who defended the poor by judges and fellow attorneys. Even my clients often didn’t understand. They didn’t want me either for solidarity reasons. They too questioned my motives.
Prayers: We pray for the grace to accept unfair attitudes and barbs for our stand with the oppressed. WE THANK YOU, LORD
Petitions: We pray for the grace to surrender our lives for the poor, the helpless and oppressed, waiting for that day when our calls for peace will be heard. O GOD, HEAR OUR PRAYER
We pray that our national leaders and world leaders will use nonviolent means to resolve disputes among nations. O GOD, HEAR OUR PRAYER
We ask for forgiveness from those whom we have injured when we have not surrendered and forgotten our own desires for peace. O LORD, WE WANT TO WALK IN YOUR WAYS