Pax Christi on Provoke Radio
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It’s a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question: Did Jesus preach non-violence? If the answer is ‘yes’ then how many of us can really claim to be a true follower in a world that is, has, and – from the looks of it – always will be rife with human violence, armed conflict and war? That’s a much tougher question; one that requires each of us to look inward for the answer. But if we’re honest, even if only in our most private moments, we will have to conclude that to be a true follower…not just a believer…but a follower, an imitator, a wanna be… we have to bear prophetic witness to Christ’s message of peace and non-violence. Given the seemingly intractable disposition of human nature, it’s a daunting task. Yet there we are. Called to it in no uncertain terms. Called to – let’s face it – what most people would simply dismiss as “the impossible.” Fortunately, we don’t have to go it alone. There are individuals and organizations who show the way, bearing witness to the transformative power of Gospel non-violence in the hopes of creating a world where there is true justice for all and real and lasting peace. Pax Christi International is one such organization.
Unlike other peace organizations however, Pax Christi was born out of a deep and troubling awareness on the part of its Catholic founders of their own complicity in war. How could they reconcile the enormous contradiction between what they claimed to believe as Christians and the horrific atrocities they had perpetrated on each other and their neighbors during World War II? How could they, in other words, become the people… they always thought they were? Listen in as our guest Dave Robinson, Executive Director of Pax Christi, USA tells us about the history and mission of Pax Christi and what initiatives it is involved with today.
