The Tension Where Truth Lives

The Weight Between Words With Pastor Charles Howse

ACHIEVING THE BELOVED COMMUNITY

THE TENSION WHERE TRUTH LIVES BLOG

Nonviolence Defeats Injustice—Not People

Good morning…

Today, as we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are reminded of a truth our moment urgently needs:

Nonviolence is not weakness.
It is moral strength under control.

Our guiding truth is simple but powerful:
Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice or evil—not people.

That distinction matters…
because injustice survives when we confuse the person with the problem.

Dr. King understood this deeply:
People are not the enemy.

Systems are.
Sin is.
Injustice is.
Evil is.

When people become the enemy, the struggle loses its soul.

Nonviolence refuses to dehumanize—even when it has been dehumanized.
It resists what is wrong without denying the worth of who stands in front of us.

That is not passivity.
That is discipline.
That is courage.
That is love with a backbone.

Nonviolence exposes injustice by withdrawing cooperation from evil—not by destroying those caught in its grip.
It shines a light so honest that falsehood can no longer hide.

Dr. King taught us that hatred multiplies hatred…
violence multiplies violence…
but love interrupts the cycle.

Why?

Because evil feeds on reaction.
It grows stronger through retaliation.

Nonviolence declares,
“I will resist you without becoming you.”

In the Beloved Community, we do not win by crushing opponents.
We win by transforming hearts, reforming systems, and restoring dignity.

There is confrontation—but it is redemptive, not destructive.

The goal is not humiliation—but reconciliation.
Not domination—but liberation.
Not victory over people—but victory over evil.

And this is how the Beloved Community is built…

Not by silencing voices.
Not by shaming humanity.
But by refusing to let injustice define who we become.

The measure of our progress is not how loudly we oppose injustice,
but how faithfully we protect human dignity while doing so.

That is the work.
That is the calling.
That is the way.

~ Pastor Charles E. Howse Jr
Beth-El Baptist Church
@highlight

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Charles Howse Jr
Pastor Charles E. Howse Jr. is a preacher, pastor, and author whose calling lives at the intersection of proclamation and reflection. With decades of ministry experience, he has spent his life speaking to the visible struggles of people while gently naming the quieter battles they carry within. His voice is shaped by Scripture, lived experience, and a deep pastoral concern for those navigating faith, failure, leadership, and the long work of healing. Whether from the pulpit or the page, his work consistently points readers and listeners back to the grace of God that meets us where we truly are. Through writing, Pastor Howse explores the tension where truth lives—the space between certainty and doubt, strength and vulnerability, public faith and private wrestlings. His reflections draw from biblical narratives, personal insight, and pastoral observation, inviting readers to slow down,and think deeply. He writes not to perform, but to bear witness—to grace that restores, love that endures, and a God who remains faithful even when we falter. This blog is an extension of that calling: honest, thoughtful, and rooted in the hope that truth still heals.

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