The Lord said to Moses: Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. The Midianites had brought the Israelite men into unfaithfulness, leading them into idolatry and immorality. This passage is troubling. War is commanded. Vengeance is sanctioned. We want to skip past it, to find the parts of Scripture that align with what we already believe. But Scripture includes conquest and war and the command to take vengeance. It also includes Jesus saying to turn the other cheek. It also includes the prophets condemning violence. Scripture is complicated. It documents a real history where war happened, where violence was part of the people's story. I don't know how to reconcile the command for holy war with Christ's command to love enemies. But I know that dodging the difficult passages doesn't make me more faithful. It makes me less honest. I have to sit with what Scripture says, including what makes me uncomfortable, and let it challenge and reshape me.
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