Peace Podcast: The Raising of Lazarus as a Nonviolent Revolution

So, you think you know the story of Lazarus? Guess again! In this podcast John Dear brings us on a journey through biblical times with Jesus, his disciples, the sisters of Lazarus, and the people of Bethany with his interpretation of the Gospel according to John, Chapter 11. Dear likens Jesus to Gandhi and the Salt March as Jesus marches on through Bethany to Jerusalem and the Cross. He states that Jesus had it figured out when he was brought the news of the death of his friend Lazarus. He reads to us Chapter 11 of John the Disciple’s Gospel and then offers us a much broader description of what that gospel means. Imagine if you will that Lazarus represents the entire human race. Imagine again that discipleship is friendship and Jesus states that there is no greater thing than to lay down your life for your friends. Imagine that the people of Bethany represent a people of a culture of death not unlike what we suffer with today; those enmeshed in violence and war. Jesus walks alone to Bethany. Where are the disciples? John Dear then gives you the shortest sentence in the Bible; “And then Jesus wept.” What does this mean? Dear explains it. With the story of Lazarus, Dear asks the question, “Does death get the last word?” He then gives you Jesus’ three commandments and has us confronting the power of death and our inability to handle hope. “Lazarus, come forth!” How is this a message for us today? Find out in this powerful and dynamic podcast. You can learn more about Lazarus in John Dear's book "Lazarus Come Forth" available at www.johndear.org.

This month John Dear explores the story of Lazarus from a fresh perspective. John encourages us to imagine that Lazarus represents the entire human race. Imagine again that discipleship is friendship and Jesus states that there is no greater thing than to lay down your life for your friends. Imagine that the people of Bethany represent a people of a culture of death not unlike what we suffer with today; those enmeshed in violence and war.

Through this new lens, John explores themes of nonviolence and likens Jesus to Gandhi and the Salt March as Jesus marches on through Bethany to Jerusalem and the Cross. He states that Jesus had it figured out when he was brought the news of the death of his friend Lazarus. This podcast combines meditation, bible study, and classroom-style teaching to change what we thought we knew about this story.

The Peace Podcast is available on our website here. There you can also find the previous episodes where John discusses resisting nuclear war, the life of Franz Jagerstatter, Thomas Merton, Jesus’s campaign of nonviolence, Psalms of Peace, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and more. The podcast is also available on iTunes where you can subscribe and listen as soon as it’s released. Don’t forget to share this podcast with others to continue to build a mainstream culture of nonviolence.