The awkwardness of being a pacifist

Abstract

Trying to be a faithful pacifist puts me in awkward situations and conversations. I know that feeling awkward is not among the most important dimensions that surround issues of violence, war, and peace. Nonetheless, it’s difficult to articulate pacifist ideals in certain contexts such as discussions that seek to determine what might be done in volatile situations in which it appears that deployment of military measures might make sense. Negatively described, pacifism is a belief that violence should not be used; positively, it is the belief that peace should be pursued using peaceful methods. Many different versions of this view exist, and the one to which I cling is part of my Christian faith. I believe that in the person, work, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus we find the example of and the direction for pacifism, as well as the strength to live in peaceful ways, especially as part of the body of Christ, the church.