Pacifism in Chicago

I'm sitting in a hotel room in West Lafeyette, IN. I am here with our high school group for the national conference of Evangelical Free Churches, more commonly known as "Challenge." It should prove to be interesting, if you know me well you know my stance on youth conferences. But now is not the time or the place to go there. I will, hopefully, have a fantastic time with our group on this "last hurrah" of my days at Valley.

Today we had to pass through Chicago to get here. Abe called me at the exact moment we were passing through. She asked if it felt like home. With frank honesty, I answered, "no." It didn't feel like home. It probably won't for a while. But, in time, it will.

On a completely different note, I read a lot on our bus ride. I read some Martel, some N.T. Wright, and I finished "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McClaren. Though McClaren's works have sparked much controversy in conservative, evangelical circles, I feel the need to hear him out. I feel this for two reasons; first, I am moving to the liberal side of conservativism (to be safe) and second, he has good things to say.

In one of the chapters he lays out a very convincing argument for a pacifistic lifestyle. Pacifism is something I have been personally mulling over in the ol' bean for a while now. I read the Scriptures, and I can't help but see it. I realize that this is a sticky subject, but I feel that this is one of those things that you've got to figure out where you stand. It seems especially important in a day and age when wars are waged and violence is effected in the name of God (if you think about it, this statement is incredibly ambiguous, so don't get to bent out of shape). So if I were to take a stand, I would have to say that I am a Pacifist. I might be a developing, or a progressing, or even a struggling one, but I am a pacifist. It seems that if you are follower of Christ, you put your stock in God's economy. And in God's economy, love and peace will win, period.

This is a strikingly political post for me, but nevertheless, it must be said. Let me know what you think on the topic.

Shalom (which means God's Peace, if you didn't already know that).