Violence, insults, hostility and an effective alternative

Violence has always been a part of society, even part of much of our entertainment. Perhaps what we enjoy watching is influential.

Humans tend to resort to meanness (and even violence) if we have trouble getting what we want by being nice. Violence uses physical force to try to change or control another person’s free will.

Violence is used when people feel powerless and believe that they have no other alternative to get what they want. Perhaps violence comes more from an angry, tormented heart than from a confused mind.

Words can cause physical harm. Mean, insulting words often escalate into violence and/or incite violence in others.

When our free will is continually frustrated, our dreams thwarted, and our feelings trampled, violence can falsely appear appealing. Society seldom teaches and trains people how to self-defuse violent impulses and to find powerful alternatives to those impulses (like MLK and Gandhi did).

Jesus took a radical view of violence: “Forgive,” “Bless those that curse you,” “Turn the other cheek,” “Love your enemies.”

Rather than verbally or physically attacking others, we can learn to fight against our own self-destructive thoughts and behaviors. That’s a positive way to put our violent feelings to good use.

God’s love isn’t a license to live any lifestyle you like, but a call to follow and obey the living Jesus. Both of America’s major political parties need to put the biblical “love chapter” in their platform. (1 Corinthians 13.)