Bruxy Cavey is the teaching pastor of The Meeting House, one of the largest and most innovative churches in Canada. The Meeting House is an Anabaptist congregation associated with the Brethren in Christ.
Bruxy is a gifted teacher and author of the best selling book, The End of Religion: Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus (NavPress, 2007). He is a frequent guest speaker at conferences, churches, and universities in the United States.
In the following video excerpt, Bruxy shares an Anabaptist reading of John 18:28-40, the conversation Jesus has with Pilate about the Kingdom of God.
Listen to Bruxy talk about how Jesus is Messiah and king, and how we’re called to follow him in radical opposition to worldly powers.
It seems to me there is a growing number of evangelicals that are beginning to embrace Jesus’ radical call to non-violence and separation from the kingdoms of the world? What do you think? Do you find this message comforting in the midst of national and global problems?
D.D. Flowers, 2013.
The Centrality and Supremacy of Jesus Christ 
October 10th, 2013 at 1:06 am
Liked this! Haven’t heard of Cavey before. Thanks!
/ T
October 10th, 2013 at 1:25 am
I encountered the Anabaptist Vision and affirmed it as closest to the way of Jesus shortly after becoming a follower of Christ in 1977. I am encouraged by the visibility of the non-violent convictions of the Anabaptist presence in the blogosphere, but am not particularly convinced that the numbers of those committed to this understanding of faithfully following Jesus has increased much in the last few decades. The numbers may increase as violent conflicts in the world subside closer to home, but an onslaught of potentially totalitarian oppression, from radical Islamicists–or any other ideology–is likely to drive the numbers down to relative insignificance. So, I’m rather pessimistic about the significance of a growth in Anabaptist non-violence. Nevertheless, the affirmation of, or at least appreciation of Jesus’ teaching regarding his non-violent preferences, does seem to be on the increase. The problem seems to me to be that the eschatological certainties regarding a soon to be spirit-body resurrection that motivated the Apostles and believers of the first centuries of Christianity doesn’t backstop many of today’s followers of Christ. The spiritual certainties necessary for a truly Anabaptist resurgence seem less evident than some version of a liberal activism. It is all very well to feel that violence doesn’t solve any world problem, but it is far better to believe that a self-sacrificial love that witnesses to Christ’s sacrifice is the ultimate solution to the sin/violence problems of our world. In relation to questions like: what would you do in the face of another Nazi-like holocaust, how would you respond? it is not obvious that non-violence is the answer many would espouse.
October 10th, 2013 at 8:39 am
rwwilson, what’s your first name? 🙂
I do see what you’re saying about “liberal” or progressive folks admiring Jesus’ teachings on non-violence, or even applying it in a politically motivated sense. I still want to celebrate the fact that they are manifesting some aspect of the Kingdom. But you’re right. Is this non-violent peace-making driven by a hope in resurrection? I’m hopeful that it will be in the end. It may be that the “liberal activism” will lead to a full embrace of our resurrection hope.
As for another holocaust, you might want to read my post: The Day of Fire.
Thanks for sharing, bro.
David
October 10th, 2013 at 8:31 pm
Why the Che shirt? That, for me, is a big turn off.
October 10th, 2013 at 8:37 pm
Chris, it’s not Che… it’s Jesus. There is a crown of thorns on his head. And there is writing underneath, but I can’t make it out. I assure you that Bruxy is not a fan of Che.
October 11th, 2013 at 1:20 pm
The writing underneath says ‘rEVOLution’ with the EVOL highlighted in red so that it reads LOVE.
October 11th, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Thanks, Sarah! You’ve got better eyes than me.
October 10th, 2013 at 10:10 pm
I noticed the Che lookalike Jesus shirt too and figured it was intentional, perhaps an ironic visual lure.
October 12th, 2013 at 8:17 am
Thank you David for sharing this. Bruxy does an excellent job of showing that our king, His kingdom, and its demands on us are all intimately related. We can’t claim Him as king if we are not walking in obedience, nor to be a part of His kingdom if we live as if “of” the world. Our great challenge is to get the tension between “in” and “of” right.
Keep on keeping on, my brother!
October 12th, 2013 at 11:09 am
Thanks for being a faithful reader, bro! And thanks for the encouragement.