violent love.

Violence is around a lot of conversations and for good reason. The world is filled with it. The Bible is filled with it and we’re always trying to reconcile our views of grace with justice, of mercy with order, of peace with violence. 

Here are some way too simple thoughts. 

Love is the absence of fear. 

We fear love.

Violence and fear are always related. 

Violence can be useful to destroy boxes and cages. 

Violence is an excuse for the ego to have full control and that’s always dangerous. But, in a sense, love is violent, or can be, but not in the common understanding of violent. But those paradoxes of revolutionary love, rebellious love.. violent love are valid.

If violence is done out of fear… than it’s always destructive and harmful.

If there is no fear, then it’s love, and actions done without fear can still be tearing, gashing, and almost violent.. but always healing. 

Bravery… protecting love… great. 
Bravery… protecting fear… not great. 

And sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. 

Sometimes what some call love others calls violence and what some call violence others call love.

One more thought. 

If you’re going to justify your own violence as righteous, you have to allow God to be violent as well.