tough love

love is a cause.

it is God’s cause. it is about the giving of life, not the taking of it.

recently I noticed something new in the spelling of a familiar word…
within the word pacifist there is the word ‘fist’. never noticed that before. always thought that 'passive' was in there because i don't think i ever actually read the word and paid attention.

but there it is: paciFIST... not PASSIVist.

now, this isn't some etymological thing... just something that caught my eye when i was thinking about wars and rumours of war and trying to figure out how to aptly remember on remembrance day without somehow justifying more violence.

there is nothing passive about fighting against violence. whether it is violence being exacted against another using physical force or violence being exacted against another using mental force, guilt, manipulation, obligation, a cause is a cause and a fight is a fight.

love is a cause worth fighting to the death for… Jesus demonstrated this, giving life without hope of a receipt or a reimbursement… love is about attending to the needs of others because the deepest need of love is to see the needs of others met.

i wonder if this kind of thinking will get us into trouble.