Responding to Violence as a Christ-Centered Leader

The reports from Butler, Pennsylvania, last Saturday were unbelievable and unspeakable. An event where an assassination attempt on former President Trump, the death of a father protecting his family, and the wounding of several others is unnecessary and unthinkable.

Regardless of your political views, such events leave us with feelings of fear, disorientation, and anger. As a Christ-centered leader, how do you respond to such violence?

To begin answering that question, let’s look at one scripture that is foundational for all Christ-centered leaders and fundamental to our faith and actions as followers of Jesus.

Read John 13:34-35

Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”

Reflect

To daily live the love of God made known is Jesus, is the mark of true discipleship. It is also the strength of faith communities, the goal of spiritual formation, and the hope for which we live. The love of God made known in Jesus Christ can be embodied today and every day through what you think, say, and do.

Modern-day prophets, like Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us of these truths. He wrote in A Testament of Hope, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Where do we find the courage and desire to love each other?

T. M. Anderson writes,

“The goal of spending time with Christ in prayer is to have His character become our character. For our life to be hidden in His life, his nature to become our nature, and His habits our habits. It is possible to become so intimately acquainted with a practice, a way of doing something that you can do it without thinking. It becomes second nature, natural. When we find the secret place of abiding in Christ, our ordinary, daily interactions with people will become oh such more than mundane. They will be majestic opportunities to fulfill God’s purpose. We will become fruitful Christians. All fruitfulness of this kind flows out of intimacy with Him.”

Our hope is in Jesus, who gives us the ability to love each other as he loves us. By loving one another, we show the world that we belong to Jesus. Our courage to love comes from our willingness to engage in a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Respond

Could becoming more like Jesus be a response to the violence in which our culture participates?

So as a Christ-centered leader, how do you respond to such violence?

Remember Who You Are

You are a Christ-centered leader, so you lead as a follower of Jesus. You might think of it this way, in the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” At your baptism God claimed you as his “beloved child.” As a child of God, you are a peacemaker.

So, what does that mean? As a child of God, you represent God in the community where you live, work, and play. Your words and actions reveal who you are and that you are about God’s business. And what is God’s business? God’s business is the well-being of God’s creation, especially the well-being of each of us. God loves us and is working for our good. To be about God’s business is to love others the way God has loved you. That is who you are and how you live as a child of God. So, remember who are.

It Matters Where You Start

You are a Christ-centered leader. It matters where you start. It sounds simple enough, but there are several factors to consider. First, you start with Jesus, the Prince of Peace. In other words, you don’t start with your opinion or political position. Please hear me, you are entitled to your opinion, but as a Christ-centered leader, your opinion is second to God’s business. So, you start with Jesus.

Second, because you are about God’s business, you speak and act on behalf of God. That means that you are working on behalf of all people, whether you agree or disagree, God’s love is greater than your opinion or differences. This is an important factor in responding to violence.

We know things are not right in the world. It’s as if something or someone is organizing things against God. The act of assassination cannot be chalked up to differences in opinion. Nor can we write it off as poor communication.

We can’t know why someone would act with violence. It is called evil. And evil is large, cosmic, organized, subtle, pervasive, and real. The struggle in which we find ourselves is real and dangerous. The only way to address it is with the power of God’s love. So, start your response immersed in God’s love. It matters where you start.

Respond with Grace

You are a Christ-centered leader. It is your responsibility to respond and not react. When responding, keep in mind the differences of opinions and views you are addressing. In times of violence, we tend to react out of fear and anger. People receive what you say through their filters of fear and anger.

Responding with grace is not always easy or convenient. But by God’s grace you have been given the faith to respond. So, don’t abandon who you are as a follower of Jesus for the sake of convenience or to gain support for your point of view. To do so is to give into the evil you are addressing. Amid vulnerability, respond out of the strength provided by God’s grace. If you stand in fear and react out of emotion, you give power to the evil that is not real or true. The people behind acts of violence embody the evil of hatred and bigotry. At any given time, motivated by fear and emotion, you and I embody the same evil. Let’s not give into the intimidation. Respond with the grace that God has extended to you.

Remember You Are Not Alone

As a Christ-centered leader, God is with you. Because God is with you, you can be with and for others. You can assist others to be who God created them to be. So, join hands, if not hearts, with people you might not associate, agree, or understand. Model for the world God’s design for all creation. Evil can seem overpowering. Yet, God’s plan for creation is greater than any evil embodied in violence and terrorism.

When you come to the end of the day “having done everything,” you can stand firm knowing that you are not alone. You know that against all aggression, there is the presence of God. Against all attacks, there is the promise of God. Against all evidence, there is the power of God. And against all odds, there is the victory of God.

Decide to Act

You are a Christ-centered leader. Be aware of your emotions and claim your agency. Feelings, whether rooted in compassion or outrage, are not enough. How does standing firm get translated into positive action that brings about the redemption and transformation of our relationships, our communities, and the world?

Think of it this way: For too long, we have either tried to make our way on our own power or mistakenly decided to be silent and do nothing, thinking God will do something for us.

As a response to the events of last Saturday, remember, God is with us. You are not alone. Maybe you can think of it this way. God created you, claimed you, called you, commissioned you, and gifted you for such a time as this. If God has made that investment in you, God will not leave you alone to respond on your own.

As a Christ-centered leader, you stand on a firm foundation to help others know that they are not alone in the midst of violence. Because God is with us, we can stand together to be who God created us to be, and we can and will make this world a place where God’s love is greater than all the evil and violence we experience.

Pray

O God, show the world your love through me. New every morning is your love, great God of light and all day long you work for your children’s well-being. Stir up within me the desire to serve you in trust and obedience; the desire to not only do good but to be good; the desire to live peaceably with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, strangers, enemies; the desire to surrender this day and every part of my life: family, friends; fears, failures; finances, fantasies; focus and future to your love in Jesus Christ. Make me aware of the people around me today so that I might be a blessing to someone somewhere today. I offer myself to you in and through Jesus Christ. So let it be!

Return

Give God thanks for the people you encountered today. In whom did you see Jesus? What emotions have you had regarding the recent acts of violence? How have you been addressing them? How has focusing upon God’s love in your life helped you to love others? What did you learn about yourself? What will you will do differently tomorrow? Give God thanks for the experiences that help you become who God created you to be. Keep in mind, who you are is how you lead.