Who Are Our Enemies and How Do We Love Them?
This thin book, “Who Are Our Enemies and How Do We Love Them?” is about Christian nonviolence and how Christians can apply this practice in their everyday life. The book does not seek to answer every question about nonviolence but through a biblical, theological, and historical perspective, I make my case why Christians should choose nonviolence instead of violence, even in the face of our enemies.
Herald Press has already published several books about Christian nonviolence but this time, they wanted someone who is not “your average” Mennonite (an historic Peace Church) to write about this theme. While I identify as a Mennonite, my background and the process of how I decided to be part of a Mennonite church are quite different from [some others]. As a Korean-Paraguayan, I grew up hearing that all men must go into the military and that violence is a necessary evil to protect our nation from North Korea and China. And living in an unsafe neighborhood in Paraguay, I was told that we needed to use violence to protect our families from criminals and gangsters. However, deep in my heart, I disagreed with this view, even before I knew about the [peace stance held within the] Anabaptist-Mennonite faith. Hence, I had to struggle deeply with how to make sense of the gospel of peace first to myself first and then to others. My conviction got sharpened as I engaged in conversation with Roman Catholic academic colleagues at Boston College who mostly advocate for just war theory. And this book is the fruit of my several years of theological reflection on Christian nonviolence.
This book starts with my personal encounter with a group of robbers and how a nonviolent act saved my life. From there, I explain that Jesus lived in a dangerous time, where his life was frequently threatened but how he actively taught nonviolence and demonstrated to engage nonviolently with one’s enemies. Afterward, I argue that early Christians were mostly pacifists and how some Christian groups uphold this perspective even to this day. I also discuss the common debate between Christian pacifists and just war thinkers and then move to the paradigm of just peacemaking. Later, through the use of social sciences and the history of nonviolent movements, I make a strong case for the practical and political effectiveness of nonviolence. Lastly, I offer some concrete practices to end violence through direct, cultural, and structural changes.
This book has been written in a very approachable way so that even people who graduated from high school can understand. Thus, it can be used for classroom or small group gatherings. My goal for this book is not to convince all readers to be Christian pacifists nor to take a guilt trip to those who do not agree with me. But rather, I hope this small book can deepen the readers’ theological reflection and to engage in fruitful and constructive dialogue.
Hyung Jin Kim Sun, a.k.a. Pablo, is a Korean-Paraguayan Mennonite Christian and a PhD. candidate in theological ethics at Emmanuel College in the Toronto School of Theology. He works as teaching, research, and program assistant at the Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning, a reference group of the Canadian Council of Churches. Kim Sun became a Mennonite because of his strong conviction in the gospel of peace. He serves as an assistant pastor at Toronto Mennonite New Life Church.
[Editors note: Thank you, Pablo, for this beautiful work. We at Shepherd Heart know that health and well-being also include a shalom-wholeness of peace & nonviolence. ]