I come from a family that has three generations of military service. My great-grandfather was a soldier in World War One. My grandfather was a convoy truck driver in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps during World War Two. My gentle Mennonite mother was a military nurse in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves — fortunately, during peacetime. I have never served, but service to my country is not foreign to me. And I am proud to be a Canadian. I came to Anabaptism as an adult, but more out of conviction than as a result of nurture.

As an Anabaptist, I find it interesting to read about responses to international conflict among Christ-followers, especially those who are advocates of nonviolence as integral to their Christian discipleship. It is easy to be nonviolent during peacetime, but that commitment seems to evaporate for many once a military conflict begins.

Why is this? Why do such faith commitments go away in the face of evil? I often hear sentiments such as this: Nonviolence is seen as being weak and ineffective in response to violence that threatens harm or death to innocent people, and many people feel an urge to protect those who are under threat. Awareness of the real toll that wars take, especially on civilians, increases this urge.

Personally, I am outraged at the war being waged against Ukraine. I visited that country several years ago and feel a particular connection to their suffering (if that means anything). It seems appropriate to join in cries of “Slava Ukraini,” if for no other reason than there seems little else one can do.

For others, solidarity with the oppressed is an insufficient response. Their outrage motivates them to respond to the evil of violence with a violent response that is intended to overcome the evil. This is an inevitability in the fallen world in which we live. I get it. And I understand the inclination to restore justice. but for Christians, whose awareness of justice should be shaped by our awareness of the God of Scripture, we need to be clearer about what justice is, and is not.

At some level, justice may be accomplished through the destruction of evil. That is what justice is. But here is what justice is not. Justice is not the goal of God’s mission in the world. God’s goal is the reconciliation of all things to himself in Christ. So why would we settle for a lesser goal? Why are we giving up a sure thing for the goat behind door number two?

Is it because we think that the way of peace doesn’t work? Then why are we Christians at all? Christians are called to follow in the steps of Christ (1 Peter 2:21). 1 John 3:16 says it this way: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16 NIV) I assure you that John is not talking about dying in battle while fighting. If we think that peace will not work for us, do we think it worked for Jesus? Because our mission is to do what Jesus did.

Or do we think that the calling God has given us needs a bit of help? Perhaps we think that peace needs a kick start using just a bit of violence. My question is this: When has this ever worked? I am a fan of military history, and I note with sadness that even decisive victories over evil never eradicated it.

One problem I see is that violence overlooks the truth revealed, for example, in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Paul reminds his readers that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV) The problem with violence is that it wars against flesh and blood rather than against the spiritual forces that are the real enemy. And it ignores the fact that those who presume to be on the side of right are also contaminated by evil.

So what are we to do? Nothing? That is a common caricature. There is much we can do, but it requires creativity, organization, and patience. Nonviolent resistance to evil is a real thing, and it is the calling of every Christian. Note that it is nonviolent resistance. Christians are called to be nonviolent, not to be passive.

Resistance will be seen and felt. It may cause pain, both to the giver and the receiver. It is more difficult to engage than violence, because nonviolent resistance entails continuing to love the offender. But if living as a Christian were easy, every Christian would do it. Sadly the path of suffering that Christians are called to embrace is a path few are willing to walk.

In a day when conflict seems imminent, it seems especially important to talk about peace. And we should remind ourselves that our short-sighted metrics are not the measure of success. In the words of G. K. Chesterton, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” Maybe it is time for us to do better.