My way of putting it is that Christians are called to live

In the depths of human history, where war has often been the shadow that looms over civilization, there arise voices of profound wisdom that call for a different path, a path of peace and nonviolence. Stanley Hauerwas, in his reflection, offers a powerful understanding of what it means to live as a Christian in a world marked by conflict: "My way of putting it is that Christians are called to live nonviolently not because we believe nonviolence is a strategy to rid the world of war, but in a world of war as faithful followers of Christ, we cannot imagine being anything other than nonviolent." These words are a profound challenge to the prevailing notions of power and strength in the world, for they remind us that peace is not merely a tactic or a political strategy, but a calling—a way of life that flows from the very essence of faith.

At the heart of Hauerwas's statement is the profound recognition that violence is not merely a choice we make, but a condition of the world that Christians are called to resist. In ancient times, the Greeks believed that the ultimate measure of a man was his ability to engage in battle, to defend his city-state, and to protect his honor. In the Iliad, heroes like Achilles and Hector were celebrated for their martial prowess and their devotion to their comrades in arms. Yet, in the same way, Christians are called to a radically different way of being in the world—a way that does not glorify war or violence, but seeks a higher calling of peace and reconciliation.

Hauerwas’s words remind us that nonviolence is not just a practical solution to the problem of war, but a moral stance grounded in the teachings of Christ. In the Gospels, Christ teaches that those who live by the sword will perish by the sword, and He Himself chooses to suffer rather than to engage in violent retribution. The Sermon on the Mount offers radical wisdom in a world of turmoil: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." Christ, in His life and death, embodies the ultimate act of nonviolence, choosing to bear the pain of the world rather than to respond with force. This is not a strategy to end war, but a living example of how faith transcends the systems of violence that govern the world.

History provides us with many examples of those who took up this call of nonviolence, even in the face of overwhelming evil. Martin Luther King Jr., inspired by the teachings of Gandhi, led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States with a vision of justice and equality rooted in nonviolent resistance. King’s famous words—"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear"—echo the Christian ethos of responding to evil with good, to violence with peace. In his leadership, he modeled what it means to embody faith in the midst of injustice, not by violence or retribution, but through love, courage, and the unwavering belief that peace is the only true path to freedom.

Hauerwas’s assertion that nonviolence is not a strategic method but an integral part of the Christian way of being challenges us to rethink our responses to conflict. When the world around us calls for force, anger, and revenge, the Christian response is radically different. It is not a retreat from the world but an engagement with it in a new and transformative way—one that seeks to break the cycle of violence and hatred by responding with grace and forgiveness. This does not mean that Christians are called to be passive or indifferent to suffering; rather, they are called to be agents of healing, actively working to create a world where justice and peace reign, not through the sword, but through the power of love and sacrifice.

Consider the wisdom of the ancient Stoics, such as Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, who spoke of the importance of inner strength and self-control. The Stoics, though they were not Christians, understood that true power does not lie in dominating others or in engaging in violence, but in mastering oneself. In the same vein, Hauerwas calls Christians to resist the temptation of violence, not out of fear or weakness, but as a testament to their strength in faith. For in choosing nonviolence, Christians reject the idea that violence is the solution to the world's problems and instead choose the more difficult but ultimately more powerful path of peace.

The lesson we take from Hauerwas's words is a call to live in accordance with the deepest values of Christianity: to love our enemies, to forgive those who wrong us, and to seek the reconciliation of all peoples, not through force, but through peace. This is a life countercultural to the world we live in, a life that chooses the difficult path of nonviolence, even when the world around us calls for retribution. In our own lives, we can embody this teaching by seeking to act with compassion and understanding in the face of conflict, choosing to heal wounds rather than deepen them, and being agents of peace in our communities. This is not an easy path, but it is the path of those who, like Christ, choose to suffer for the greater good, knowing that in nonviolence, there lies the true strength of the Christian faith.