“For as long as I can remember, there has been suffering on this earth. And for as long as I can remember, that suffering has been judged and opposed by force, which has only brought more suffering. Using the sword must have its place, but now we see that to live by it is to die by it, just as to live by wealth is to pay the price of that wealth. Both are cycles without end.”
I am reading a historical novel called AD 33, by Ted Dekker. It is the second of two novels (the first is AD 30) that follows the journey of a Bedouin woman named Mavia. She has a warrior companion, Saba, who speaks the words above. I am finding a fair amount of inspiration from this fictionalized account of the gospel. Undoubtedly, I’ll have more to say in the days ahead, but this excerpt speaks to me. As a follower of The Way, I have grieved over the cycle of violence and avarice that is increasing the more years I live. God grant me the grace to reject mammon and vengeance as my Master did.