The choice

The Father of Jesus is a preserver of life; the father of the crowd is a killer. Jesus was desperately trying to show them that God was not as they had imagined him. God is not a killer demanding blood sacrifices. God is not a war deity sanctioning the slaughter of enemies. The freedom that comes from God is not power to kill, but the choice to love.— A Farewell to Mars: An Evangelical Pastor's Journey Toward the Biblical Gospel of Peace

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And we (the crowd) will always choose the power to kill, won't we...Lord, deliver us!
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