Peace by Power????

Last evening I was home flipping the channels and came across a documentary on PBS. I believe it was called Carrier and was about life on an aircraft carrier. I didn't watch much of it, being solidly committed to pacificism, but the little I watched had some interesting things in it. During an interview with one guy, he said something to the effect that the armed forces were there to promote peace by power. Peace by power?? That got me thinking about the Roman empire and the Pax Romana (the Peace of Rome). The Pax Romana was not a peaceful idea. In fact it was only brought about because anyone who spoke up against Rome or in some way brought "trouble" to Rome was severly dealt with. They would be crucified outside the town with the understandable message, "You mess with Rome and you will end up like this." So the Peace of Rome was brought about through Violence...

So the comment last night reminded me of Rome and the empire. I began to wonder about the Pax Americana. How much of our peace as a country has been brought about by violence? Can peace be brought about violently or is that an oxymoron? I truly believe that peace is not done by power but by love, grace, service, and mercy. It's about power under (service) and not power over. (Thanks to Greg Boyd for these words) True peace is only found in Jesus and can't be brought about by demanding, fighting, and violence.