Non-violent ways of responding to bullies...
Walking with Jesus is a resource that Dawn brought to my attention. Looks like an excellent resource in helping children know how to respond in the way of Jesus to bullies without being doormats.And here is a resource that provides some practical suggestions for helping kids deal with bullying situations.
posted by Brian Miller @ 4:15 PM
4 Comments:
At 6:41 PM ,
Anonymous said...
Walking with Jesus. Looks interesting and possibly more in line with my own ideals. :)
At 11:30 PM ,
Gecko Girl said...
I was just reading a couple more essays by Frederica Matthews-Green. I thought one on culture had some good points that kind of related to your culture questions. She is such a good writer - here is the link to the essay:
http://www.frederica.com/writings/loving-the-storm-drenched.html
Here is an excerpt:
As Mark Twain famously remarked, everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it. I think much of our frustration is due to trying to steer the weather, rather than trying to reach individuals caught up in the storm. . . We can do some things that can help improve ongoing conditions. But it is futile to think that we will one day take over the culture and steer it. It’s too ungainly. It is composed of hundreds of competing sources. No one controls it.
...we are misguided even to think of our opponents in the "culture wars" as enemies in the first place. They are not our enemies, but hostages of the Enemy. We have a common Enemy who seeks to destroy us both, by locking them in confusion, and by luring us to self-righteous pomposity.
At 6:23 AM ,
Brian Miller said...
Dawn,
That's it! Frederica is making the point I am trying to make.
"We are misguided to think of our opponents in the "culture wars" as enemies in the first place. They are not our enemies, but hostages of the Enemy. We have a common Enemy who seeks to destroy us both, but locking them in confusion, and by luring us to self-righteous pomposity."
I sense this kind of "self-righteous pomposity" expressed in the language of indignation with particular opponents who are name as the "enemy" because of their views and actions. Do we still see them as individuals who are "hostages" of the Enemy?
"We can do some things that can help improve ongoing conditions. But it is futile to think that we will one day take over the culture and steer it." I think Christians would be well served to realize that Christendom is waning, and our witness is not from a position of power within the social order. I see attempts to hold back the tide of decaying values through the government as okay as long as they are not viewed as our primary means of influencing culture. They are the "some things that can help improve ongoing conditions", but the battle will not be won or lost by lobbyists, legislators, or in the voting both.
I'm not sure Dr. Dobson would share this view.
At 9:57 AM ,
Gecko Girl said...
Yes, I agree about Dobson. Though, there can be a place for the actions Dobson often promotes.
But -- I think this is where, in the long run, the two-kingdom philosophy comes in. We do what we can in this world to live/proclaim the Good News and promote the way of Christ. AND I do also believe Christ continues to redeem ALL things back to Himself, overcoming the Evil that Man has helped to perpetuate...I believe this is a task we, as Christians, are called to participate in. But the Evil which Man has fallen captive to will only disappear when Christ returns and ALL confess the Lordship of Christ.
So I suppose that speaking out, boycotts, demonstrations, etc. against the true roots of Evil are possible ways to witness to the way of Christ, but, as Fredrica says, it may not change things very much in the long run. Furthermore, I think the extent we feel called to speak out is more of a personal thing.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home