In The Matter Of Violence…

WED., SEPT. 25, 1996, 8:47 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

The Acts story continues, and you are struck with the violence that is a part of the narrative. And there is violence in the news of this day, as well as in most histories of your country and of the world. The violence in Acts pits some of My chosen people, the Jews, against Paul, a Jew but now an outspoken Christian. It seems strange to you that people faithful to you (but in different ways) would react violently to other, but differently, faithful folk. Is this the kind of world I want?

Yes… and… No. Obviously I allow some amount of violence in the earth. I tell you that I “allow” such, for I still have control, and I could prevent it all, if I so desired. This implies, strongly, that there are reasons why I don’t see non-violence as the best total condition. As I have told you repeatedly the earth is a very special realm of being, one of its features being violence. This means there are some who act violently with others, some upon whom the violence descends, and some who mete violence upon one another.

Yet this is, finally, a minority. Most of you are non-violent, most of the time, and, likewise, most of you are, generally, not subjected to violence. In your culture violence is news, and therefore it seems more prevalent than it is.

Why do I allow violence? For strictly spiritual reasons. (You expected something else?) I like diversity in personalities, and there are some who need some amount of violence. There is “a time for war and a time for peace”… “a time to kill and a time to heal”. Violence can involve bravery, heroism, sacrifice, and allegiance to Me. Yes, in this sense, I am worth fighting for. Violence creates danger, and violence can restore peace.

The war in which you had a small part was ended with two supremely violent bombs. It was time for that violent struggle to end, so I allowed those weapons to be used. But not since… and probably never again. There was much spiritual growth in that war, but its “time” was over. Learnings from violence can be important ones for the progression of spirit. There is no need for Me to apologize for that. It is part of My plan and part of success in growth.

But is it necessary? For the earth, yes. For other realms, not so. The realm that can be called Hell is one of violence, which implies that this is where some number of violent spirits are, after an earth life or more. Many realms are ones of peace and harmony, and some spirits flourish in such environments. But many of you need various experiences… various life forms… various environments. And I do let some of you make mistakes, as a way of growth. I am quite capable and quite “in charge”.

Some lives are shortened by violent acts. That, generally, is of little or no consequence to Me. How about this old, familiar saw: the length of a life is unimportant. What is learned is of importance, and that may correlate barely with length of life and with freedom from violence.

And what about violence as part of the earth scene, the non-human. All forms of life are food supplies for other forms, and becoming “food” involves violence at some point. Parts of your country recently have been damaged, with some loss of life, because of hurricanes and tornadoes. Fire can be violent, and, again, many acres of your land has burned this summer. You live on an earthquake fault, one the movement of which could be violent. So… there is violence in the nature I have created and continue to create.

The last portion of Acts tells of Paul’s experience with a violent storm at sea. I warned him, but his warning was not heeded. Then I told him they would all escape, and so they did. It showed forth My power over violent storms, certainly.