The poor will always be with you
Musings on Jesus’s call to prioritize love for the other over violence towards the other, and how that relates to violence and nonviolence in the world today.
When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. – Luke 22:49-51
Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” – Matthew 26:52
Peregrine is asleep. So is Sakeenah. There is yelling outside and then that distinct dull thwop of fists connecting with heads. So of course I get outside. I'm awkward in putting on my shorts and by the time I get out into the alleyway the combatants have already been separated. A skinny guy is projecting …
I was getting kids for the literacy program when I saw a crowd gathering in one of the poorer neighborhoods of our community. An older woman was flailing about; three other ladies attempted to restrain her. I told my kids to hurry along without me and approached to see if it was a medical emergency. …
When a certain sound hits, you know something is going down in the slum. I look for the cause of the commotion and see a woman bathing at one of the communal water tanks. A gang of kids has gathered and are harassing her with glee, yelling “Ghost! Monster!” She shouts back at them and …
Soon after we came to the country, we encountered a man in our community who suffered from mental illness. He tended to sit half-dressed in the alley near our friends' room. At times he shouted incoherently and made motions with his head. He appeared to be suffering. One of my friends would sometimes sit next …
A post by Peregrine I want to share a story from the Catholic human rights advocate Angie O'Gorman. When I think of the surprising power of a nonviolent response to counter violence, this is the story that most often comes to mind. This woman's experience really challenges me, especially as I find myself often in the …
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.1 When Peregrine and I were volunteering in the red light districts,2 I found my feelings towards the foreign men on the streets to be the most difficult …
The Guests Were Enjoying French Wine and Cheese on a Capitol Hill Patio. When a Gunman Burst In, the Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn. By Allison Klein1 Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, July 13, 2007 A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting …
The crowd pulsed, a hundred people behind my arms, 20-30 of them trying to push forward with sticks and other weapons. Opposite us another 15-20 men advanced on the mob, some of them wielding weapons of their own. Belt blows from the front rained down on my arms and shoulders, and someone’s elbow or fist …
Let's enter this topic by way of a story. I'm sitting at my friend's shop eating a snack when we hear a fight break out. I turn to see a young teenager being held back by a crowd. He is trying to get into trouble with an adult man who I can't quite see. The …
Most of the stories I have written here happened years ago. This one was yesterday. I was walking through one neighborhood where I teach when I heard the thump of blows. I paused, discerned sobbing. Peered around the window of the home it was coming from, but could see nothing. The blows continued. Someone was …
