Another Way to "Stand Your Ground"
"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:27-31)
There's so much discussion - most of it very polarized - much of it angry - much of it aloof - concerning the verdict in the George Zimmerman (and by default, Trayvon Martin) trial. I have nothing productive to add to the discussion; I don't think much of the present discussion is all that productive.
But the discussion did prompt me to reread Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s, "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Dr. King's eloquent testimony still rings true, productively speaking truth to the violence of any age. I encourage you to read it. Google it for a free copy. A website with the text and footnotes is:
http://www.wuhsd.org/cms/lib/CA01000258/Centricity/Domain/18/assignment_e9.pdf
Dr. King wrote plainly and passionately about those who chose to stand their ground in the face of overwhelming power - firehoses, beatings, and bullets. His words were deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus.
At Jesus' arrest, when the disciple Peter drew his sword in an act of self- and Savior-defense, Jesus said, "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?" (Matthew 26:52-53)
When tempted to turn stones to bread to sate his own hunger, Jesus said, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)
When asked how many times we should forgive those who sin against us, Jesus said, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:22)
Time and again, when tempted to use his power to protect his own needs Jesus stood his ground, never returning evil for evil, never putting himself above another, never flinching. Jesus stood his ground, fixed securely in God and God's word, which promises that even though we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, evil will not ever prevail.
In 2013, "Stand Your Ground" means laws that let you use a weapon in defense.
In Jesus, to stand your ground means to put your weapons away.
Every day, in small ways, and occasionally in large ones, we're all tempted to exercise our sense of privilege, to demand what's ours, to get what we're owed. Sometimes it's an important matter of standing up for basic, God-given human rights. But most of the time, it's not. Most of the time, it's simply the matter of raising our voices, raising our blood pressure, raising our claims of how right we are and how wrong someone else is not to see it. Most of the time it's just petty irritation, loosely based in the shifting sands of our moods, our grudges, our fears, or the fact that we haven't eaten enough and we have a headache, so we're entitled to be a little rude to the lady at the counter who can't make change.
Every day, we make choices in how we treat people. Every day, our choices will show what kind of ground we're standing on. It's not easy to stand our ground in the ways of Christ. It can be so hard not to strike back, not to snap back, not to think back in an equal act of meanness. But if we can practice standing our ground in Jesus during the small choices, then when the big choices arise, we'll be ready, neither fearing evil nor responding in kind.
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