Here's one of the strangest recorded conversations between Jesus and his disciples: "Then Jesus asked them, 'When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?' 'Nothing,' they answered. He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one...' The disciples said, 'See, Lord here are two swords.' 'That is enough,' he replied" (Luke 22:35-38). TWO SWORDS! ENOUGH! FOR WHAT? The context indicates Jesus said this shortly before what Matthew described as "a large crowd armed with swords and clubs" showed up in Gethsemene with Judas to arrest Jesus--an event that Jesus had clearly warned his followers was about to take place. Then, when one of his disciples drew one of those swords and took a swipe at one in the armed crowd cutting off an ear, Jesus sternly told the preemptive striker to put that sword away uttering those now famous words, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword" (Matthew 26:32). Here's how I see all this. Jesus told his followers that they were about to have a confrontation with the Roman military and some really upset religious leaders who were bent on killing him. Tongue in cheek he said they should arm themselves. Yup. Two swords ought to do it, two swords against the super power of the day armed to the hilt with swords and clubs? What a joke! Considered in light of everything else Jesus had said about peacemaking and loving one's enemies, it should have been obvious to his disciples he had no intention that they resort to violence. Luke's account of these events quotes Jesus saying to the preemptive striker among his followers, "NO MORE OF THIS!" (Luke 21:51), clearly demonstrating Jesus' opposition to such preemptive violence. Will we ever learn the lesson? Preemptive armed aggression against one's foes only promotes more violence and is not to be the behavior of anyone identifying themselves as a follower of Jesus. I wish world leaders today would get this through their "stay the course" heads. NO MORE OF THIS!

Here it is--my virgin voyage in the blogosphere. All who get on board with me will discover plenty of food for thought, a good bit of cynicism, very practical theology, some political observations, and healthy challenges to the status quo. For starters: Has anyone failed to notice that the preservation of power (or the gaining of it) is the number one political goal in every election cycle and in institutional ecclesiastical structures? Politicians use issues as a smokescreen to hide their real agenda--occupying the seats of power. Even the rare principled public servant, once elected, will be forced to play the power preservation game by his/her party of affiliation. Voters vote for those they feel will best represent the issues they care about, but once the election is passed, the energies of the elected officials are put into power consolidation--not isues! As a civic duty (and to be able to speak as a participant in the process) I plan to vote. But I do not have any misgivings about the politicians being able to produce the societal transformation I hope to see. That only comes through the undefined and often unnoticed ranks of those who love their enemies, actively care about the disadvantaged, let mercy crowd out revenge in those secret places of their hearts they don't talk about at parties, and meekly serve others without any power agenda. This is the "narrow way" that few discover.