Tag Archives: Sword

Devotional, Series

SACRED SIGNS OF SUBVERSION, Part 26: Sword

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Read Matthew 10:34–39

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“Put your sword back into its sheath,” Jesus said. “Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” (John 18:11 NLT)

Symbols carry memory and meaning far beyond words. The Church has always leaned on them—sometimes hidden in plain sight, sometimes dismissed or distorted. Yet the most powerful symbols are those that subvert the world’s expectations and draw us back to the radical heart of the Gospel. In this series, we look closely at the sacred signs that unsettle, challenge, and ultimately call us deeper into Christ.

Image: AI-generated using DALL·E and customized by the author. Used with the devotional “SACRED SIGNS OF SUBVERSION, Part 26: Sword” at Life-Giving Water Devotions.

Part 26: Sword. The sword may be the most misunderstood symbol Jesus ever invoked.

When Jesus says, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword,” many readers rush to one of two conclusions. Some hear permission—conflict sanctified, division justified, harm excused in the name of truth. Others rush to soften the words, insisting Jesus couldn’t really mean division at all, because peace must always be preserved.

Both reactions miss the point.

Jesus names the sword because truth embodied does not leave relationships untouched. When truth takes flesh—when it walks, speaks, and refuses to perform for comfort—it divides. Not because it seeks conflict, but because it removes the illusion that everyone can remain unchanged. The sword Jesus brings is not violence. It is exposure. It cuts through false unity, inherited loyalties, and identities built on silence.

And yet—this is where the symbol turns dangerous—Jesus never allows that sword to be wielded without cost.

When Peter reaches for steel in the garden, certain he finally understands what faithfulness requires, Jesus stops him. Not gently. Not ambiguously. “Put your sword back.” The same Jesus who named division now rejects domination. The same Christ who promised rupture refuses coercion. The sword is real—but it does not belong in human hands as an instrument of control.

This is the subversion the Church has spent centuries struggling to live with.

We want the sword Jesus brings, but we want it usable. Swingable. Directed outward. We want truth that wounds others while leaving our own power intact. Peter’s mistake was not malice; it was loyalty shaped by fear. He believed the threat required force. Jesus reveals something far more unsettling: truth will divide on its own. It does not need help. And the moment we try to enforce it, we betray it.

Scripture itself holds multiple sword images in tension. There is the sword that divides households. The sword that cuts inward, exposing motive and desire. The sword that comes from the mouth, not the hand—speech that judges without shedding blood. There is even the sword the Church keeps reaching for, baptizing power as protection and calling control faithfulness.

Jesus refuses all of them—except one.

He refuses violence. He refuses coercion. He refuses domination. But He does not refuse the cost of truth. He accepts the division that comes from living honestly, from refusing to perform peace at the expense of integrity, from standing where the light reveals what cannot be reconciled.

The sword Jesus brings does not destroy enemies. It ends neutrality.

That is why it feels so threatening. Because this sword cannot be used to win. It can only be endured. It does not grant authority; it demands surrender. It does not preserve institutions; it exposes what they are built to protect. It does not promise safety—only faithfulness.

The Church’s greatest temptation is not conflict, but control. And the sword exposes that temptation mercilessly. The moment we pick it up, we reveal that we never trusted God to do the dividing. We wanted to manage the outcome.

Jesus brings the sword—and then lays down His life. He wields it not by striking, but by giving himself over to its cost.

Truth cuts. And we are not in charge of where.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
The sword Jesus brings is real—but the moment we try to wield it, we have already misunderstood Him.

PRAYER
God of truth, teach us to live honestly even when truth divides. Free us from the urge to control outcomes or force agreement. Give us courage to stand where Your light exposes what cannot remain unchanged, and humility to lay down every weapon we are tempted to use in Your name. Shape us by faithfulness, not fear. Amen.

Devotion written by Rev. Todd R. Lattig with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI).

Devotional, Series

SACRED SIGNS OF SUBVERSION, Part 25: Peacock

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Read John 3:19–21

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT)

Symbols carry memory and meaning far beyond words. The Church has always leaned on them—sometimes hidden in plain sight, sometimes dismissed or distorted. Yet the most powerful symbols are those that subvert the world’s expectations and draw us back to the radical heart of the Gospel. In this series, we look closely at the sacred signs that unsettle, challenge, and ultimately call us deeper into Christ.

Image: AI-generated using DALL·E and customized by the author. Used with the devotional “SACRED SIGNS OF SUBVERSION, Part 25: Peacock” at Life-Giving Water Devotions.

Part 25: Peacock. When I was a teenager, a few of my friends and I once made a very poor decision involving a farm and a peacock. From a distance, the bird was stunning—iridescent feathers catching the light, colors that seemed almost unreal, beauty that felt ornamental and harmless. It was easy to forget that this creature was not decoration. It was alive. Territorial. Alert.

The moment we crossed a line we did not realize we had crossed, the peacock charged.

What had appeared beautiful from afar became suddenly loud, aggressive, and fast. There was no malice in it—only instinct, presence, and an unmistakable refusal to retreat. We ran. The feathers did not vanish. The beauty did not disappear. But it was no longer passive. What had been admired now confronted.

That is the peacock.

In early Christian art, the peacock became a symbol of resurrection and incorruptibility. Its molting feathers and radiant display were taken as signs of eternal life, glory revealed, truth made visible. But the Church was not alone in seeing something enduring in this bird. Across the Mediterranean world—among Persian, Greco-Roman, and Hellenistic cultures—the peacock had long symbolized immortality, vigilance, royal splendor, and life resistant to decay. Christianity did not invent this symbol so much as receive it, re-reading what others associated with power or divine watchfulness through the lens of resurrection without domination, recognizing in the peacock a creature whose beauty seemed to hint at something beyond death itself.

But the peacock has always carried a tension the Church sometimes forgets.

Beauty revealed is never neutral. Truth, once visible, is no longer ornamental. Light does not simply illuminate; it exposes. As John’s Gospel makes clear, the problem is not that light comes into the world—the problem is how people respond when it does.

Some step toward it. Some recoil. Some feel threatened simply because something can no longer be hidden.

The peacock does not chase because it is cruel. It charges because it has been seen, approached, and crossed. Its display is not a performance for approval. It is a declaration of presence. The feathers say, Here I am. And for those who preferred the bird as scenery, that declaration feels like danger.

This is where the symbol turns subversive.

The phoenix tells the truth by fire. What cannot endure is burned away. What remains is no longer hidden. The peacock asks the next, more unsettling question: What do we do with the truth when it is revealed?

The Church is often comfortable with truth as long as it remains abstract—contained in symbols, creeds, or stories kept safely at a distance. But when truth becomes visible in real bodies, real lives, real voices, the reaction changes. What was once praised as beautiful becomes “too much.” What once inspired awe now provokes resistance. Not because the truth has changed.But because it can no longer be ignored.

Paul reminds us that this light shines in fragile vessels. The radiance does not belong to us. There is no glory to claim, no spectacle to manage. The power is from God alone. And that vulnerability is precisely what makes visibility so costly. To be seen is to risk misunderstanding. To be revealed is to invite reaction.

The peacock does not ask permission to display its feathers. It does not dim itself to make others comfortable. And it does not disappear when its presence unsettles the ground it stands on.

Truth revealed will always divide—not because it seeks conflict, but because it removes the option of neutrality. Light does not attack. It simply shines. And in doing so, it forces a choice.

The peacock stands in that tension. Beautiful and unyielding. Radiant and dangerous—not because it intends harm, but because it refuses to pretend it is only decoration.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Truth does not become threatening when it changes, but when it becomes visible.

PRAYER
God of light and truth, give us courage to live honestly in the open, even when that openness unsettles us or others. Teach us to receive Your light without fear, and to stand faithfully when truth is revealed. Keep us from hiding what You have made known, and from mistaking beauty for safety. Amen.

Devotion written by Rev. Todd R. Lattig with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI).

Devotional, Previous Post

REVISITED: Killing Strangers

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Read Revelation 13:1-4

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put the sword back into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword.’” (Matthew 26:52 CEB)

Marilyn Manson live on 1/29/2017 at Terminal 5 in Manhattan.

Is it just me or does it seem like the world is spinning completely out of control? The news is daily filled with stories of people killing other people. Growing up, I remember hearing of murders here or there, I remember the shock that would bring to me everytime I heard of someone’s violent demise. It was shocking because it didn’t happen to often, or it was at least less often brought to my attention, so that when I heard of such violent acts I was horrified by it.

Nowadays, I must admit, that I am not shocked to hear of such things at all. If anything, like most in our society, I have grown numb to it. That’s not to say that I am apathetic to the people who suffer. I am an empath, meaning that I can easily put myself in the shoes of others and will often feel the pain others are going through, not to the same level as the suffering, but enough to empathize with them. Yet, overall, I have grown numb (in that I am not shocked) to the constant barraging of violent extremism in this country. It has, sadly, become the norm.

We live in the age of the sword. People no longer can look at the other, despite the differences they have, and see common humanity in them. Rather, they see the other as being the enemy. They embrace the spirit of Satan, which is the spirit of divisiveness and enmity. They avoid, at all costs, the long, hard road of open, honest, and painful communication. They avoid seeking to understand the other, as well as seeking the other to understand them, and they resort to pointing the finger, scapegoating, warring with others, and taking lives. From our politicians modeling this kind of enmity in their campaigns to common protestors who are outraged over injustice, violence is becoming the modus operandi for getting oneself or one’s group heard.

It is understandable how people can resort to violence. When groups of people suffer seemingly endless injustice, while others are treated with respect and dignity, that is angering. When groups of people who are being discriminated against feel like the majority of people are not hearing them out or understanding their woes, that adds fuel to the already stoked fire. Even more, when the majority of people want to keep things exactly as they are because it suits them at the great cost of others, and they discount or deny the experiences of discrimination that others are going through, that can be a rallying cry for those who are fed up with being silenced in their suffering.

Yet, violence almost never helps anyone’s cause, but often begets more violence. We saw that in the shootings of Minnesota, Louisiana and Texas. The shootings of two black males by police officers, resulted in someone angrily taking justice into their own hands by shooting unwary police officers who were just trying to ensure the safety of protestors in Dallas, and they were officers who had nothing to do with the previous shootings. We also see this at the often chaotic and sometimes violent rallies of our presidential candidates. People in both of these instances, and beyond are fed up with NOT being heard and are, unfortunately, venting their frustrations violently. As one candidate’s followers get violent toward the other’s, the other candidate’s followers retaliate.

This reminds me of two Marilyn Manson songs. In his song, “Killing Strangers,” Manson writes that “we’re killing strangers so we don’t kill the ones that we love.” This is a profound truth, in that out of frustration we resort to killing the other, the stranger, in order to “protect” those we love and care about. The problem is that those “strangers” often did nothing, and would do nothing, to deserve being killed.

In his song, “Antichrist Superstar,” Manson writes, “Cut the head off, grows back hard. I am the hydra, now you’ll see your star.” This, of course, is imagery taken straight from the book of Revelation. While Manson is writing about how the church created the “evil” they perceive him, and others, to be, I believe that these lyrics apply here as well. We use the sword (proverbial or literal) to cut down our perceived enemies, only to see those enemies rise back up to strike us back.

The question for us is this, when does the violence stop? Surely, there is truth in Jesus’ warning that “those who live by the sword will surely die by it.” I am not saying that all violence is uncalled for, but when we are reactive in violent and destructive ways as a result of our fear and anger, that almost always leads down the path of destruction. We may be killing strangers to begin with, but we are killing pieces of our own souls in the process, and reaping the harvest of our seeds of fear and anger. Let us, as Jesus taught, lay down our swords and seek the better, more righteous way of responding to injustice.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realizing Him.” – Mahatma Gandhi

PRAYER
Lord, help me to find constructive and nonviolent ways of harnessing my righteous anger, for the elimination of injustice and the transformation of this world. Amen.

Devotional, Previous Post

REVISITED: Killing Strangers

Leave a comment

Read Revelation 13:1-4

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put the sword back into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword.’” (Matthew 26:52 CEB)

Is it just me or does it seem like the world is spinning completely out of control? The news is daily filled with stories of people killing other people. Growing up, I remember hearing of murders here or there, I remember the shock that would bring to me everytime I heard of someone’s violent demise. It was shocking because it didn’t happen to often, or it was at least less often brought to my attention, so that when I heard of such violent acts I was horrified by it.

Nowadays, I must admit, that I am not shocked to hear of such things at all. If anything, like most in our society, I have grown numb to it. That’s not to say that I am apathetic to the people who suffer. I am an empath, meaning that I can easily put myself in the shoes of others and will often feel the pain others are going through, not to the same level as the suffering, but enough to empathize with them. Yet, overall, I have grown numb (in that I am not shocked) to the constant barraging of violent extremism in this country. It has, sadly, become the norm.

We live in the age of the sword. People no longer can look at the other, despite the differences they have, and see common humanity in them. Rather, they see the other as being the enemy. They embrace the spirit of Satan, which is the spirit of divisiveness and enmity. They avoid, at all costs, the long, hard road of open, honest, and painful communication. They avoid seeking to understand the other, as well as seeking the other to understand them, and they resort to pointing the finger, scapegoating, warring with others, and taking lives. From our politicians modeling this kind of enmity in their campaigns to common protestors who are outraged over injustice, violence is becoming the modus operandi for getting oneself or one’s group heard.

It is understandable how people can resort to violence. When groups of people suffer seemingly endless injustice, while others are treated with respect and dignity, that is angering. When groups of people who are being discriminated against feel like the majority of people are not hearing them out or understanding their woes, that adds fuel to the already stoked fire. Even more, when the majority of people want to keep things exactly as they are because it suits them at the great cost of others, and they discount or deny the experiences of discrimination that others are going through, that can be a rallying cry for those who are fed up with being silenced in their suffering.

Yet, violence almost never helps anyone’s cause, but often begets more violence. We saw that in the shootings of Minnesota, Louisiana and Texas. The shootings of two black males by police officers, resulted in someone angrily taking justice into their own hands by shooting unwary police officers who were just trying to ensure the safety of protestors in Dallas, and they were officers who had nothing to do with the previous shootings. We also see this at the often chaotic and sometimes violent rallies of our presidential candidates. People in both of these instances, and beyond are fed up with NOT being heard and are, unfortunately, venting their frustrations violently. As one candidate’s followers get violent toward the other’s, the other candidate’s followers retaliate.

This reminds me of two Marilyn Manson songs. In his song, “Killing Strangers,” Manson writes that “we’re killing strangers so we don’t kill the ones that we love.” This is a profound truth, in that out of frustration we resort to killing the other, the stranger, in order to “protect” those we love and care about. The problem is that those “strangers” often did nothing, and would do nothing, to deserve being killed.

In his song, “Antichrist Superstar,” Manson writes, “Cut the head off, grows back hard. I am the hydra, now you’ll see your star.” This, of course, is imagery taken straight from the book of Revelation. While Manson is writing about how the church created the “evil” they perceive him, and others, to be, I believe that these lyrics apply here as well. We use the sword (proverbial or literal) to cut down our perceived enemies, only to see those enemies rise back up to strike us back.

The question for us is this, when does the violence stop? Surely, there is truth in Jesus’ warning that “those who live by the sword will surely die by it.” I am not saying that all violence is uncalled for, but when we are reactive in violent and destructive ways as a result of our fear and anger, that almost always leads down the path of destruction. We may be killing strangers to begin with, but we are killing pieces of our own souls in the process, and reaping the harvest of our seeds of fear and anger. Let us, as Jesus taught, lay down our swords and seek the better, more righteous way of responding to injustice.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realizing Him.” – Mahatma Gandhi

PRAYER
Lord, help me to find constructive and nonviolent ways of harnessing my righteous anger, for the elimination of injustice and the transformation of this world. Amen.

Devotional

Killing Strangers

1 Comment

Read Revelation 13:1-4

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put the sword back into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword.’” (Matthew 26:52 CEB)

Is it just me or does it seem like the world is spinning completely out of control? The news is daily filled with stories of people killing other people. Growing up, I remember hearing of murders here or there, I remember the shock that would bring to me everytime I heard of someone’s violent demise. It was shocking because it didn’t happen to often, or it was at least less often brought to my attention, so that when I heard of such violent acts I was horrified by it.

Nowadays, I must admit, that I am not shocked to hear of such things at all. If anything, like most in our society, I have grown numb to it. That’s not to say that I am apathetic to the people who suffer. I am an empath, meaning that I can easily put myself in the shoes of others and will often feel the pain others are going through, not to the same level as the suffering, but enough to empathize with them. Yet, overall, I have grown numb (in that I am not shocked) to the constant barraging of violent extremism in this country. It has, sadly, become the norm.

We live in the age of the sword. People no longer can look at the other, despite the differences they have, and see common humanity in them. Rather, they see the other as being the enemy. They embrace the spirit of Satan, which is the spirit of divisiveness and enmity. They avoid, at all costs, the long, hard road of open, honest, and painful communication. They avoid seeking to understand the other, as well as seeking the other to understand them, and they resort to pointing the finger, scapegoating, warring with others, and taking lives. From our politicians modeling this kind of enmity in their campaigns to common protestors who are outraged over injustice, violence is becoming the modus operandi for getting oneself or one’s group heard.

It is understandable how people can resort to violence. When groups of people suffer seemingly endless injustice, while others are treated with respect and dignity, that is angering. When groups of people who are being discriminated against feel like the majority of people are not hearing them out or understanding their woes, that adds fuel to the already stoked fire. Even more, when the majority of people want to keep things exactly as they are because it suits them at the great cost of others, and they discount or deny the experiences of discrimination that others are going through, that can be a rallying cry for those who are fed up with being silenced in their suffering.

Yet, violence almost never helps anyone’s cause, but often begets more violence. We saw that in the shootings of Minnesota, Louisiana and Texas. The shootings of two black males by police officers, resulted in someone angrily taking justice into their own hands by shooting unwary police officers who were just trying to ensure the safety of protestors in Dallas, and they were officers who had nothing to do with the previous shootings. We also see this at the often chaotic and sometimes violent rallies of our presidential candidates. People in both of these instances, and beyond are fed up with NOT being heard and are, unfortunately, venting their frustrations violently. As one candidate’s followers get violent toward the other’s, the other candidate’s followers retaliate.

This reminds me of two Marilyn Manson songs. In his song, “Killing Strangers,” Manson writes that “we’re killing strangers so we don’t kill the ones that we love.” This is a profound truth, in that out of frustration we resort to killing the other, the stranger, in order to “protect” those we love and care about. The problem is that those “strangers” often did nothing, and would do nothing, to deserve being killed.

In his song, “Antichrist Superstar,” Manson writes, “Cut the head off, grows back hard. I am the hydra, now you’ll see your star.” This, of course, is imagery taken straight from the book of Revelation. While Manson is writing about how the church created the “evil” they perceive him, and others, to be, I believe that these lyrics apply here as well. We use the sword (proverbial or literal) to cut down our perceived enemies, only to see those enemies rise back up to strike us back.

The question for us is this, when does the violence stop? Surely, there is truth in Jesus’ warning that “those who live by the sword will surely die by it.” I am not saying that all violence is uncalled for, but when we are reactive in violent and destructive ways as a result of our fear and anger, that almost always leads down the path of destruction. We may be killing strangers to begin with, but we are killing pieces of our own souls in the process, and reaping the harvest of our seeds of fear and anger. Let us, as Jesus taught, lay down our swords and seek the better, more righteous way of responding to injustice.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realizing Him.” – Mahatma Gandhi

PRAYER
Lord, help me to find constructive and nonviolent ways of harnessing my righteous anger, for the elimination of injustice and the transformation of this world. Amen.