Armed rebellion is a form of activism that is in the extreme. Mild (respectful) activism occurs in media of communications, advocate forms, in open peaceful support of an issue, in debates and conferences, including parliaments and congresses. Persuasion leads to improvement: terror to jungle life. These may be accompanied by strong emotional contexts, or mild, in an attempt to present an objective support to a matter for attention. Public demonstrations that include setting fire to cars, breaking windows, resisting police are milder forms of rebellious activism than open rebellion to warfare, but any violence reveals human failure – moving from humanity to a form of bestiality. Intelligence has yielded to brutality. This last is identified with the uses of firearms and deliberate attempts to threaten authority by violence that may go so far as to include military conduct and human casualties. The point to be made is that activism is as variegated as most other human conducts, and a part of life in changing persons and institutions. Jesus Christ was an activist: so were his disciples. Martin Luther to Martin Luther King covered nearly five centuries of eminent activists in religion that affected the personal lives of citizens for good in societies. There were some who were out of the better flow of peaceful address to life and problems. Activists against a faith base point this out. Some analysts relate Luther to warfare following his initial peaceful activism, war that he could not find a way to avoid. He might have achieved more resisting warfare.
That Jesus faced both activism, and the response to it, in peaceful ways and mien, ought to guide Christians, and the world generally, relative to the dividing issues of corporate life. That Jesus would heal the ear of his captor, an ear severed because one of Jesus’ followers had attacked the soldier, should be something of a guideline for all. It also reminds us that, even with the teaching of Jesus, Peter was, at a most crucial moment, reverting to the revenge factor common to human beings. It requires maturity to face ugliness without becoming ugly. To observe a wrong strikes a chord within fair-minded persons, of sympathy, perhaps empathy, that arouses response. That response ought to be in self-control, with the goal to do something about the violation, large or small. When physical activism met with physical violation in regards to freedom and slavery in America, a horrible war followed. The problem was not truly solved until the activist, in non-violent activism for human equality, wrought change in society after World War II. The context was recited in the speech, I Have a Dream, by Martin Luther King. Soon after, the activist King paid for his convictions with his life, without taking another’s. I have a rather firm feeling that God would have it no other way, so to show the world the difference in the way of peace, which is related to love. Love is a major characteristic of God. Violence and death are in violent hatreds – evidence of depravity.
In the proper sense one becomes activist: in writing a letter expressing opinion, in attending a meeting of concerned persons, in giving to a non-profit organization meeting needs, in encouraging this or that person or group in fulfilling a selfless mission, and so the list might be extended. The Church, the accumulation of Christians, was told to be activist in peace. The first strong world activist thrust was the Church, as the apostolic method with converts to Christ began the world missionary movement. It was a peaceful movement, even if distorted by conquistadors and crusaders, and was successful going from persecution to full acceptance in the western world of the time. The pilgrims inform us. Martin Luther King challenged the peaceful activist as something he was willing to be jailed for. Keep issues in the mind to action. Gandhi was partly inspired by Jesus so insisted on activism without hatred and violence, but his admirers, after his death, did not stay with the ideal, and there was no equivalent leader to self-sacrifice for it. The Christian missionary is an activist of peace, faith, and hope. He or she may die, but not injure. The missionary will not take away the culture of his work country, but will offer redemption in heaven’s Cross, and rest found in God’s peace. As doctors work for health in any culture; as good business persons seek to meet needs without hurting anyone; as teachers yearn to teach persons in any culture to read and write without politicizing them; and, as anyone follows a vision for the benefit of persons, so the Christian takes the service flag of the Cross of Christ to incline faith. The purpose is dissemination of a peaceful gospel; the only weapon, Scripture; and, the only battlefield field the human mind/soul. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020