The Opposite of Violence

Scripture: Isaiah 60:18 – “Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.” (NRSVUE)

What is the opposite of violence?

When we see distant wars, mass shootings, and even the painful losses that no one ever seems to notice, how do we respond?

One way, and perhaps the first way, is with a need for revenge. We long to revisit the pain we have felt upon others. If retaliation is the punishment for those who commit atrocities, they will not happen again, whether out of fear of retribution or simply because the perpetrators are not around anymore. But we all know that vendettas gain a life of their own and a world of “an eye for an eye” leaves the whole world blind.

Another way is to pray for peace. For a cessation of violence. For a return to the way things should be. But wishing violence away does not always make it go away, because it doesn’t get at the root of violence. The causes—be they disputes over resources, desperation, or simply unsatisfied human emotions—remain and violence can always rear its head again.

But the Book of Isaiah reminds us of another possibility. Towards the end of the book, the prophet is writing about the persistence of injustice that occurs even after Israel has returned home from exile. The cycle of violence that led to the Exile seems to be returning, as those causes of fear and anger are still present among them.

The solution is to build walls not out of stone and mortar but salvation and praise. Violence is not stopped with more violence or with wishing it would go away. It stops when people feel they are loved more than they are hated. It is when they are saved from the troubles of their hearts and have realigned themselves with God. And violence is stopped with praise, when our love of God is greater than our fear and hatred.

Shouting Hallelujah or holding hands in the street seems like a silly act when the world feels like it is on fire or crumbling down around you. But as the Bible reminds us elsewhere, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” Showing salvation to the broken and praising God can change the world if you let it. A transformed heart leads to a transformed world.

Prayer: Lord, grant me a peace born of justice, grace, and praise. Amen.