McLaren got me thinking - what is the opposite of taking? In some cases, it is giving. In others, perhaps, it is receiving. In yet other circumstances, as McLaren argues, non-violent resistance is the opposite of taking.
Mahatma Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King gleaned wisdom from the Beatitudes, as McLaren points out. Most non-violent protest movements trace some of their motivation back to Jesus' teachings.
While many people have learned from these ancient words, I am even more compelled to practice non-violence because I am a professing follower of Jesus. As someone who knows Jesus and reads his teaching, I know that "taking" just doesn't factor into the equation.
I am reminded of a conversation I had with a good friend of mine who does not believe in God. He and I tease each other in a lighthearted banter about our belief or lack thereof.
One day in particular, he was teasing me about Christianity and asked why he should believe. I suggested that maybe he shouldn't. Then he came back with, "What would I get out of believing in God?"
That's just it - it's not about what you get out of God but what you can give - what God makes you capable of giving.
Serving the God of the Beatitudes, I see non-violence in a special way because I feel a calling to do the opposite of take.