Dear friends,
What is the role of compassion in conflict?
I’m excited to share my podcast interview on this topic with my courageous friend Emnet Gilbert.
Today many people condemn voices calling for compassion. For example, the popular Ethiopian singer Dishta Gina recently cried out for peace at a concert in Addis Ababa. His courageous message was immediately ridiculed, and he was pressured into giving a tearful apology on television. His sin was simply calling for reconciliation in a time of war.
This week I received yet another death threat for my advocacy for compassion and reconciliation. The man who threatened to “dismember” me has the following banner on his Facebook page: “I’m REDEEMED to be a VICTOR not a VICTIM in any circumstance. Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ!” This is a saddening example of how “Christian” faith can be weaponized to defend violence and death.
In this hyper-polarized time, I deeply admire Emnet’s courage to explore these three challenging questions with me:
- What does compassion with practical consequences look like in the midst of war?
- Is compassion a solution to an active war when we’re being asked to pick sides every day?
- How should Christians approach conversations about war and love?
We dig into biblical ethics, early Christian thought, groundbreaking research on nonviolence, and just war theory.
I hope you dig into our conversation and reflect on how you can grow in practicing compassion this week. Emnet gives an introduction in Amharic, and the English interview begins at 2:15.
Yours with gratitude,
Andrew
