I found this the other day and decided it was more than worthy of re-posting here. I believe the full message (this is just an excerpt) can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEtZVzaenxg&NR=1
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Love Can Take It
This was my final project for my Honors Global Literature class. I decided to edit a video of various news footage that I could find on the internet along with quotes that I thought were interesting concerning war, peace, and the concept of justice and redemptive violence. A lot of the inspiration for this video came from discussions I've had since the death of Osama Bin Laden, including those in this class, my International Relations class, and discussions with friends. However, this film probably more than anything shows the struggle I've had over the past year or so as my views on war and "redemptive violence" have slowly but significantly changed to the point where I am almost ready to say I am a pacifist. (This change in thinking was sparked after reading the book "Jesus for President" by Shane Claiborne) It is not an easy or clean topic, but an important one nonetheless. This video isn't quite what I want it to be, its not the most organized or as artistic as I'd like and I may work on it more time. But for now, I hope it is found to be thought provoking and challenging as it takes you back over the past decade of history.
"We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws, because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good. Throw us in jail, and we shall still love you. Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we shall still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community at the midnight hour and beat us and leave us half dead, and we shall still love you. But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory. . . .
Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption."
– Martin Luther King, Jr., “Loving Your Enemies”, 17 November 1957, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery Alabama
"We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws, because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good. Throw us in jail, and we shall still love you. Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we shall still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community at the midnight hour and beat us and leave us half dead, and we shall still love you. But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory. . . .
Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption."
– Martin Luther King, Jr., “Loving Your Enemies”, 17 November 1957, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery Alabama
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