6-30-22 Daily Dig

Put Your Sword Back John Dear Put your sword back! These are the last words – a definitive rebuke – the disciples hear from Jesus before they run away. If ever there was a moment in God’s eyes when violence would be justifiable, this is it! But Jesus is clear: Put your sword back! His followers are not allowed to respond with violence. They are not allowed to kill. They are not allowed to harm others. They are not allowed to threaten others. They are not permitted to “deter” violent crime with the use of violence. Why, then, does Augustine say, “Killing can be an act of charity, and torture can be an expression of corrective love”?

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