Hawk or Dove?

"Le t God arise, and let God's enemies be scattered..
.let the wicked perish at the presence of God."
Psalm 68:1,2b

Remember the good old days of Saturday Night Live--with Belushi, Akroyd, et al? And Gilda! She was a comic genius! Remember the bit she did on the pseudo-news program they did. She'd start talking about something obviously mangled in vocabulary or syntax, and talk it into the ground before the anchor would correct her. To which she would reply to the camera, "Never mind!"

One of the mistaken issues she commented upon was "Violins on TV." She had much to say about squeaky notes and why not give other instruments a chance, etc. Then Akroyd tells her, "That's violence on TV, not violins."

That's kind of what I think when I read Psalms and other texts where God is described as a mighty warrior, scattering the enemies (and much worse) I want to be able to say, "That's violins in the Bible, not violence." But I can't - because the scriptures are full of violence. If the bible was a cable tv channel, I would think many of us would block big parts of it. (Sorry, Joshua--but the destruction of Jericho is just too gory for my children. I'm going to have to block you!)

But here's the real kicker. The psalms and other scriptures also praise God for his mercy, his steadfast love of Israel, and his overriding concern for those on the fringes of life. "Your people found their home in your goodness O God." (Ps 68:10a) "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time..." 1 Peter5:6

So this begs the question-is God a hawk or dove. A mighty warrior who routs his enemies by casting a holy terror upon them? Or is God a God of mercy and justice for all? The answer to this conundrum is, maddeningly, "yes."

Yes, God was experienced as a warrior God by the people of Israel in biblical times. The word of God reflects that experience and speaks to it as well. The world is a violent place, due to sin--and so God's truth is couched within that milieu. The power of God was depicted by the writers of the Old Testament, especially, as greater than what was known to be the greatest power on earth then - a mighty army. (Nowadays God's power is perhaps described more in the creative rather than destructive mode--power that created the vast universe.)

And yes, God's mercy is universal for those who respond to it, and God is a suffering God who knows our vulnerabilities and acts to alleviate them justly. God speaks in a new way through his Word--Jesus Christ. Not negating his power, but revealing that there is strength in weakness that goes beyond all military might--the power of redemption and reconciliation and resurrection!

So we are left as usual with a paradox. God is dangerously violent in response to the wickedness of the world. And God is merciful and kind to the needy. We can't ignore one in favor of the other. But we can say that the definitive revelation of who God is and what God is all about came through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To know him is to know God ultimately. So, although I cringe at the violence in the bible, I understand that in the end, when it comes down to it all--God is good, powerfully gracious! And truth be told--scripture that avoided the evil and violence in the world would be like living in a bubble--safe but unreal.

Cue the violins! ...Never mind!