Father Richard offers a summary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s principles of nonviolence:
- Nonviolence is a way of strength and not a way for cowards. It is not a lack of power which allows us to be nonviolent, but in fact the discovery of a different kind of power. It is a choice, not a resignation; a spirituality, not just a tactic.
- The goal of nonviolence is always winning the friendship and the understanding of the supposed opponent, not their humiliation or personal defeat. It must be done to eventually facilitate the process of reconciliation, and we ourselves must be willing to pay the price for that reconciliation. King based this on Jesus’ lifestyle and death and on Ephesians 2:13–22 and Romans 12:1–2.
- The opponent must be seen not so much as an evil person, but as a symbol of a much greater systemic evil—of which they also are a victim!We must aim our efforts at that greater evil, which is harming all of us, rather than at the opponent.
- There is a moral power in voluntarily suffering for the sake of others. Christians call it the “myth of redemptive suffering,” whereas almost all of history is based on the opposite, the “myth of redemptive violence.” The lie that almost everybody believes is that suffering can be stopped by increasing the opponent’s suffering. It works only in the short run. In the long run, that suffering is still out there and will somehow have to work its way out in the next generation or through the lives of the victims. A willingness to bear the pain has the power to transform and absorb the evil in the opponent, the nonviolent resister, and even the spectator. This is precisely what Jesus was doing on the cross. It changes all involved and at least forces the powers that be to “show their true colors” publicly. And yes, the nonviolent resister is also changed through the action. It is called resurrection or enlightenment.
- This love ethic must be at the center of our whole life, or it cannot be effective or real in the crucial moments of conflict. We have to practice drawing our lives from this new source, in thought, word, emotion, and deed, every day, or we will never be prepared for the major confrontations or the surprise humiliations that will come our way.
- Nonviolence relies on a kind of cosmic optimism which trusts that the universe/reality/God is finally and fully on the side of justice and truth. History does have a direction, meaning, and purpose. God/good is more fundamental than evil. Resurrection will have the final word, which is the very promise of the Jesus event. The eternal wind of the Spirit is with us. However, we should not be naïve; and we must understand that most people’s loyalties are with security, public image, and the comforts of the status quo.
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| John Chaffee Learning from the Mystics: St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio |
| Quote of the Week: “But if you want to know how these things come about, ask grace not instruction, desire not understanding, the groaning of prayer not diligent reading, the Spouse not the teacher, God not man, darkness not clarity, not light but the fire that totally inflames and carries us into God by ecstatic unctions and burning affections.” – The Soul’s Journey into God, Ch. 7.6 Reflection For people such as Bonaventure, the work of theology and the work of pious devotion were the same task. However, it appears as though the temptation was already happening in his day to emphasize the love of the mind rather than the love of God. Although the mind has its place in the pursuit of God, it also has its limitations. The perennial temptation is to think that to be “correct” theologically is what allows us to be “close” to God, rather than to remember that being “close” to God is more a matter of romance… In this quote above, Bonaventure is wrapping up the entirety of his work, The Soul’s Journey into God, with this emphasis on pious devotion. As a son of Francis of Assisi, his words are directly in line with the teachings and values of the Franciscan order: Divine Love and Mystery will always hold sway at the end of the day. Bonaventure was at one point a professor of theology at the University of Paris, and so for him to not esteem his work and profession as a high mark is noteworthy. In his own words, the journey into God is a matter of grace, desire, prayer, betrothal, divinity, darkness, and fire. The journey into God is NOT a matter of instruction, understanding, diligent reading, a teacher, humanity, clarity, or enlightenment. One of the main tenets of Franciscanism is the equality of all believers, elitism is utterly denounced within the order. No Franciscan is to be called a “Father,” only a “Friar.” No one is a “Major,” and everyone is a “Minor.” To be close to God is not a reward for a special few, but a gracious gift to those with hearts ready. For Bonaventure, the only thing that mattered was the “burning love of the Crucified One.” This burning heart of Jesus is the furnace through which all other loves, all other devotions, all activities, and passivities must pass. Love is not only the goal, love is also the path, love is the motivation, love is the engine, love is the fuel. For Bonaventure, the whole of the Christian life, theology, and devotion can be summed up in the word “love.” Prayer Heavenly Father, we admit that we sometimes prefer the ideas of You to the reality of You. We chase after theology rather than devotion. Perhaps it is because it is less threatening to talk about You than to You, to talk about loving You rather than to love You. Return us to our original very goodness and dive full-bodied into devotion once again. Set our hearts on fire for You once more. May it be so. Amen. |
| Life Overview of St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio: When and Where: Born in 1221 AD. Died on July 15th, 1274. He spent most of his life in what is now modern-day Italy and France. Why He is Important: Bonaventure was a major teacher of the faith who taught at the University of Paris. He is known as the Seraphic Doctor, gave us one of the most influential biographies of St. Francis of Assisi, and sought to write about the Christian faith in an integrative manner that brought together all the various disciplines of his own day. Notable Works to Check Out By or About Bonaventure: The Works of Bonaventure The Life of St. Francis of Assisi Crucified Love: Bonaventure’s Mysticism of the Crucified Christ |
