Walk Away
We Need To Stop Tolerating Violence
by Eric Elkin
“Answer me when I cry out, my righteous God!
Set me free from my troubles!
Have mercy on me!
Listen to my prayer!”
Years ago, our community decided to have a Movie Night. We were a small group of people who made a year-long commitment to live in simplicity, service, and faith. Most of us came from different parts of the United States. Some, though, were from foreign countries. The diverse cultural views brought energy and joy to our life together.
We decided to watch the movie Witness. If you have never seen it, the movie captured life in an Amish community in Lancaster, PA. Well, that might not be completely accurate. A Philadelphia police detective finds refuge on an Amish farm. While in hiding, he learns the ways of the culture.
The movie had been nominated for eight Academy Awards, eventually winning two. One of the signature features of the story was the beautiful photography and the peacefulness of simple living. So it surprised all of us when one of our community members walked out in the middle. She was upset because the movie was so violent.
I was stunned. The young woman who walked out was from Denmark. I remember thinking they must be very soft Denmark. We chose this movie because it was non-violent. After she left and the movie ended, we talked about it. All of us could see where one might think it violent. However, in comparison to more violent films, it was tame.
Now I look back and realize I was an idiot. The movie has four murders, several gun battles, and fistfights. The story includes a child witnessing a murder and playing with a loaded gun. Harrison Ford is a champion because he gets shot by a bad cop, punches a rude tourist, and kills two corrupt officers. What so violent about that?
“Violence brings only temporary victories; violence, by creating many more social problems than it solves, never brings permanent peace”
Today, I am much more like the young woman from Denmark. My tolerance for violence is gone. When confronted with it, I want to get up and walk out of the room. Yet, in the culture I live in, escape does not seem possible. Violence is all around me. So I embrace the psalmist plea to God, “Set me free from my troubles!”
Duante Wright’s world was violent. It is the nature of communities held in the grip of poverty. This reality formed him from birth. Where does a child go to escape this condition? And, how does a young man run away when it means leaving all those whom he loves? Duante cannot get up and leave the room.
Officer Kim Potter’s world is equally violent. Police officers rarely get to see the best side of humanity. This is not an excuse for her actions, just the reality of a world shaped by violence. In violent worlds, it is easy to lose perspective.
Lost in the media coverage of Brooklyn Center, MN, were mass shootings in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. We live in a violent world of our own making. So we pray with the psalmist, “Set me free from my troubles.”
An end to violence requires more than prayers. To be set free also involves action. When the Danish woman walked out of the movie, she was not escaping a problem. She proclaimed to all of us; I will not tolerate violence. I invite all of us to walk out. May we all stop accepting violent acts.
Click to read Psalm 4
Reflection Questions:
How much of your entertainment is violent?
What level of violence do you accept in the culture?
Would you accept the same level of violence in your home?
What does peace look like to you?
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