Sunday.....Christianity.....Violent Christians?

Somewhere in my past there was a story of a poor Christian woman who washed floors for a living. She had children, bills to pay, food to put on the table, worries for her children who would live in this world, and no husband to help. My mind seems to reference her often, particularly after an absurd, excessive and faithless complaint brings me low where I belong. This woman was humble and hard working...and meek. She was also extremely violent. She was a violent Christian woman. Puritan Thomas Watson labelled it a holy violence in his book Heaven Taken By Storm, Showing the Holy Violence a Christian is to Put Forth in the Pursuit After Glory. Soli Deo Gloria Publications isbn 1-877611-50-6. The book is a treatise on the scripture verse from Matthew chapter 11 verse 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. The methods of holy violence that Watson is talking about are things such as prayer, scripture reading, meditation, self-examination, observing the Lord's Day and conversation. These things are violence the Christian uses on this journey. This violence goes hand in hand with meekness, and is not passive. There are different interpretations of this passage as some believe that if the Christian is the one doing violence in this verse, then he is essentially trying to attain heaven through works which everyone, hopefully, categorically pronounces false and impossible. I bring this verse up, not because I am sure of the correct interpretation but, because I believe the concept of knowing that we are in a war and must wage holy warfare is needed today more than ever before. I know that I have raised the concept of the Christian as a soldier before, for indeed we are. Toby Keith had a song he called I Love This Bar with a lyric that went something like and (we got) veterans who show their battle scars. Now this Christian woman who cleaned floors certainly had scars, some of which were formed from tears running down her cheeks. It isn't our place to announce them but it would be helpful to examine ourselves from time to time just to see if we have been in a battle. My scars may have mostly been self-inflicted, or incurred through mistakes, but the words for the day, and every day are press on.