Guerrillas of Grace

I love this concept and book of prayers brought to us in 1984 by Ted Yoder. This post is comprised of direct quotes from this book.

"The Old Testament prophets can easily be conceived as guerrillas doing battle with the established powers of their day. Jesus was the pre-eminent guerilla of grace: he confronted repressive institututions and liberated captive minds and hearts with his words and his life. The early Christians rallied to Paul's battle cry: "We are not contending against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness..."

There are some characteristics of guerillas that give particular relevance to the use of that image to desribe Christians.

By any of our usual measures, guerrillas are a weaker force set against a superior, more organized power, a power which exerts both subtle and blatant pressures to conform. Guerillas are engaged in the battle to regain some territory, or some part of life, for a higher purpose, a truer cause. Doesn't "guerrilla" desribe the contemporary church in many developing countries?

It is also important to note that guerrillas usually work in groups. The point is that both grace and guerrilla are relational terms.

Guerrillas are never quite so desperate as they are confident. They believe they are fighting on the winning side, in spite of any and all appearances to the contrary.

Guerrillas are willing to give their lives, if necessary, because they believe the cause for which they struggle, and which struggles in them, will finally prevail. "

I want to be a "Guerrilla of Grace".