The violence we preach

love hands
IXS_2631 | Photo by Leon Brocard

THE VIOLENCE we preach is not
the violence of the sword,
the violence of hatred.

It is the violence of love,
of brotherhood,
the violence that wills to beat weapons
into sickles for work.

oscar romero, november 27, 1977

A friend sent me a copy of Oscar Romero’s The Violence of Love for my new Kindle (thanks Laurie!!) — and I found another site online that just happens to have it for FREE download as well for Kindle, Nook and PDF.

From the same site:

During his three years as archbishop of San Salvador, Óscar Romero became known as a fearless defender of the poor and suffering. His work on behalf of the oppressed earned him the admiration and love of the peasants he served, a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, honorary degrees from abroad – and finally, an assassin’s bullet on account of his outspokenness.

Romero was martyred for his insistence that following Christ cannot be relegated to the spiritual realm. He did not die in vain – the people of Central America say his spirit lives on in them. As their struggle for justice and dignity intensifies, his words take on renewed urgency.

Needless to say I’m looking forward to reading it…

So, what does this kind of violent love look like to you?