Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A graduation

I just saw last night that Glen Stassen died over the weekend.

Most of you probably don't know who he is. I didn't until about 6 years ago. But my exposure to him was revolutionary. He (along with some others, but primarily he) is the author of the concept of Just Peacemaking.

I had been—and still am—a pacifist. Once I became a Christian, it seemed the only logically consistent course of action. I take the Sermon on the Mount seriously as the commands of Christ, not some high ideal that won't work (by the way, for a good study on the Sermon—aside from Bonhoeffer's Discipleship—you should try to find E. Stanley Jones's Christ of the Mount). But my pacifism always seemed to fall short of what I really saw in scripture. It wasn't until I read the last chapter in War in the Bible and Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century entitled "Just Peacemaking Reduces Terrorism between Palestine and Israel" that it clicked. Just Peacemaking was the missing link in creating Shalom as opposed to just the absence of war.

I'm sure that the angels are rejoicing and that there is a major celebration on his homecoming, but the world is a poorer place because of his homecoming. May his many students carry on and expand the influence of Just Peacemaking.

Here are a few links to other tributes (with thanks to Jim Eisenbraun for them):
Peace is Possible
A Tribute to Glen Stassen

You can find his books by going to Google Books and doing a search.

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