I was looking at the paper online today and came across this. The news is local, and to American ears the definition of a weapon would be quaint, but it leads to the passage.
A machete, a mallet and large wooden sticks have been seized from several Dunedin dairy owners arming themselves against robbers targeting synthetic cannabis, police say.
Yesterday police visited some dairies to provide owners with crime prevention advice following two aggravated robberies targeting synthetic cannabis and cash in as many weeks.
That advice included having adequate CCTV, increasing staff numbers at night, employing security guards, reviewing hours of opening and asking shop owners to remove synthetic cannabis from their shelves
In short, they should be unarmed. I’m not sure if that is correct. Putting a sign up saying we don’t sell K2 (A legal cannabis analogue) may help, but — these dairies generally make more money from that product than the rest of the store (think of a bodega or seven eleven) stock combined.
And yes, the NZ police WILL remove your arms. We are not Americans. There is no bill of rights.
Now, to the passage. This is normally interpreted as you should not judge or damn anything and you should love everyone. I’m not sure if that is correct. I’m pretty sure it is not feasible.
27“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
The trouble is that we need to discern. We need to examine ourselves. We need to be aware of the foolishness in this life, for it is better to learn from other’s mistakes than make them ourselves.
We are taught, in fact Paul commands us, to have a sober assessment of ourselves. Jesus tells his followers to be as innocent as doves — and crafty as snakes. So yes, we are to do good, and we are to try to help those who are doing wrong, but we should have no illusions about what we are doing.
We should pray for our enemies, true. And we should ensure they are visited and shown comfort and the means of salvation.
But this does not mean we should say that robbery is OK, and that the local police deliberately disarming people is wise. (On this issue, like many, I think my government is foolish. They assume that we will remain peaceable and unarmed (except when hunting) as we have over the last century as they import immigrants who have a culture that includes being armed and violent, from Afghanistan, to Somalia to the USA)
It does not mean we should tell people living in sin (Sexual, financial, dietary… the list is long) that it is OK. Instead, we should be telling couples to go hard (and marry) or go home. (and revert to single-dom). We should be telling the poor how to live in a budget, showing them how do to it, and teaching them how to work. We should be confronting employers who exploit interns and oppress their workers, and we should be telling most of us Westerners to get on a diet, or to fast regularly, or do both.
We need a bit more judgment, holding ourselves to the standards that we preach. Because without this we damn people to disease, poverty and heartbreak.
UPDATE
Fearsome Pirate doubles down on this teaching, and commands all the brothers to judge harshly.