Lord, should we strike with our swords? And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. ~Luke 22:49-51 I picture life as concentric circles, like a tree with age rings, spiraling outward. Each moment has a beginning and an end but failing to learn from any one of them can have you spinning, tracing the same circle over and over. Learn from your mistake and start a new circle and like a tree with a new growth ring, so you grow as well. In 2006 I got what is known as an “LTC”, it’s a license to carry concealed firearms. Me and a buddy got it together with plans of hunting and protecting our homes. It seemed cool and macho and what a good Christian does. To… [Read More]
Archive for the ‘Non-Violent Resistance’ Category
Why I love Buddha
March 6th, 2011 
Dana Fisher Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. -1 Peter 4:8 A few years ago, me and Dave would grab coffee in downtown Quincy after serving meals at the Crisis Center and just talk about controversial topics in Christianity: war, soldiers, guns, world religions, etc… Having grown up together, we could do this with civility even with opposing views because we loved each other regardless. Our differing views didn’t prevent either of us from going to heaven, we weren’t debating whether Jesus was just a man, but merely things with which many a Christian struggles to define. He had already known where I was coming from, both growing up in similar church surroundings(and sometimes the same one), and I wanted to understand better where he was coming from. The ideas he was throwing at me were strange, yet sounded and felt right in my… [Read More]
Shooting Ourselves in the Foot
March 4th, 2011 Dana Fisher What will it take for us to get it through our thick skulls that bringing a fight is not the answer? That anger only begets more anger? That hatred has no place in the life of a Christian? That Jesus would never hold a picket sign of malice and in fact would be comforting those in pain and hurting. That he would be crying with them. I normally brush aside silly antics by misguided religious folk. The last thing they need is attention. If I’ve learned anything I’ve learned that attention just feeds the drama, causing it to grow unnecessarily. But sometimes it pushes the envelope to the point I’m embarrassed to say I’m a Christian and feel the need to defend the faith I’m passionate about. This is not how Christianity is! A few misguided people taint the whole bunch. Westboro Baptist Church is doing just that. A sign… [Read More]
Posted in American Christianity, Non-Violent Resistance 
Tags: baptist, Christ, Christian, Christianity, christians, church, death, faith, Father, God, Jesus, life, love, pain, pray, revenge, sin 
No Comments »Everyone gets to Heaven
February 26th, 2011 Dana Fisher A little discussion for your minds: Who gets in to heaven? Take a look at the article on Rob Bell, written by Justin Taylor. If you don’t want to read the article, at least scroll down and watch the video(the most important part). Many know that I am a believer in non-violent resistence, and am frequently called a pacifist. Having a background laced with anger and violence and continually struggling with my temper it took 27 years to come to the realization that Jesus really did call us to something drastically different than how we operate as people and nations. I want to discuss this, not because I side with Rob Bell or find truth in his statements, but because I see those believing in nonviolent resistance and a loving God getting lumped into this ‘other’ group which, in my opinion, is veering off the path into a scary realm…. [Read More]
Posted in American Christianity, Non-Violent Resistance Tags: believer, Christ, death, God, gospel, heaven, hell, Jesus, Jesus Christ, justice, Lord, love, nonviolent resistance, rob bell, romans, salvation, Thessalonians, truth, violence Comments OffJesus Creed
February 23rd, 2011 Dana Fisher This was originally authored by John Shorack and posted by a friend of mine, Tim Colegrove on his blog site Tanks to Tractors. I couldn’t help but repost again. Manifesto We confess that Jesus is Lord, the full revelation of the God of the Old Testament and that before Him every knee will bow. We confess that Jesus is Christ, Israel’s Messiah, and Savior of the world who conquered the power of evil on the cross. We agree with Jesus’ call to undivided allegiance to God: “No one can serve two masters…” (Matt 6:24), and “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…and your neighbor as yourself.” We also reaffirm that: “God so loved the world…” and has sent us with that love to society’s outcasts and our country’s enemies. Like Jesus, we must say ‘yes’ to the kingdom of God, and ‘no’ to all allegiances that compromise the furthering of… [Read More]
Posted in Non-Violent Resistance, Prayers Tags: America, Broken Stones, change, Christ, Christian, christians, church, cross, death, evil, forgiveness, God, heart, Holy, Holy Spirit, israel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John, kingdom, kingdom of God, life, Lord, love, messiah, old testament, peace, power, Repent, resurrection, revelation, satan, Savior, sin, sinner, Spirit, violence, war, witness No Comments »Lausanne Movement – Worship
October 28th, 2010 Dana Fisher Back in 2003 I was at Fenway Park for game 4 of the divisional series against the Oakland A’s. The Red Sox had lost the first two games and would need to win the next 3 in order to advance. They won game 3 to stay alive and as game 4 was winding down it appeared their season was over. Down in the bottom of the eighth their bats came alive and with two outs Big Papi strode to the plate. Back then he was menacing. A giant superman logo was etched in his chest and fire came from his nostrils. Okay I made that up. But back then when he came to the plate you always felt like you were watching something special. With two out it would take a miracle for them to win. Ortiz slapped a double down the right field line, scoring the go ahead run… [Read More]
Posted in American Christianity, Non-Violent Resistance, Radical Christianity Tags: America, brother, Cape Town, Cape Town 2010, Christ, church, faith, Father, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John, Lausanne, Lausanne Movement, life, Lord, love, miracle, muslim, peace, power, pray, prayer, sin, South Africa, struggle, witness, worship Comments OffLausanne Movement – Unique Stories
October 19th, 2010 Dana Fisher Everyone has a unique story, something awe inspiring in some way. Today I met a fellow volunteer from Israel who survived a terrorist attack. Steve works on the web team with me and has helped me at times with the Arabic I am putting up on the site. While at a restaurant with a friend he got what he described as a deep feeling to go home. He told his friend who tried to persuade him to stay. After a short while they decided to leave and as they left the restaurant it exploded, killing their waitress as well as several of the band members who were playing that night. He handed me a pen from Israel today with a small scroll that rolls out of it with a traveler’s prayer on one side and some photos of Israel on the other. It’s one of the small things I’ll take… [Read More]
Posted in Christian Living, Non-Violent Resistance Tags: Cape Town, Cape Town 2010, evangelization, israel, joy, Lausanne, Lausanne Movement, Lord, Lord's Prayer, pray, prayer, sin, war Comments Offkilling with integrity
June 5th, 2010 dave i saw this sign on a church yesterday: “do you remember them? do you remember jesus?” at first, since i’m a little dense, i had no idea what the sign was saying. then, my lovely and brilliant wife explained to me that it must have something to do with memorial day. the sign reminded me of a question that i was recently asked by a fellow peace-seeking friend of mine from school. he asked me if killing another human being could ever be done with integrity. what do you presume i said??? probably not what you think. i said, “sure it can. adhering to a sense of morality doesn’t necessarily mean it’s christian morality.” he was thinking the same thing. i believe it is most certainly honorable to fight and die for something you believe in with all of your heart. many people who have given their lives in the… [Read More]
Freedom is free
June 1st, 2010 Dana Fisher “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives” ~Isaiah 61:1 As we celebrated Memorial Day this weekend I was struck by a sign outside a church I passed on my way to a cookout late Saturday afternoon. It was a small white building, typical of an older baptist style church with large front doors and a steeple that rose high above the trees. Right at the edge of street was their sign with the black plastic letters which slide in and out with a new message each week. On it it read “Freedom is not free. Thanks to those who fight for ours”. The sign really struck me because freedom really is free. Jesus came, as is written in Isaiah, to set the captives free. Regardless of where you are living, what you have done or are doing, Jesus Christ set you free. The… [Read More]
Posted in American Christianity, Non-Violent Resistance Tags: burden, Christ, Christian, Christianity, church, God, gospel, heart, Isaiah, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John, pray, praying, religion No Comments »Your religion teaches that?
May 31st, 2010 Dana Fisher When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” ~Matthew 12:2 I’ve been having some great challenging conversations with my new boss over the last several months. She’s Jewish and only believes the Old Testament but even from there her viewpoint is really of a secular nature. Our talks, during work no less, have covered sin, the flood, creation, Jesus’s life, and most recently Christians in general. Each time I have been challenged, stumped, and enlightened in some way and while I wasn’t shocked by the last one, it still sort of sat in my stomach for a while with a sickening feeling like eating a bad burrito. We started talking about illegal immigration, similar to my story several weeks ago about the immigration bill. I really don’t need to rehash the whole story, being that it was so… [Read More]
Posted in Non-Violent Resistance, Social Justice Tags: Christ, Christian, Christianity, christians, compassion, God, Jesus, Jew, John, love, Matthew, old testament, Pharisees, religion, sin, sinner No Comments »
