What is the Christian approach to the bullying/oppression of others? Is it simply to avoid being a bully, to befriend the victim or do we have a greater responsibility?
Look at John 8: 1-11, the story of the Jesus saving a woman from being stoned to death, and Luke 19: 1-10, telling the story of Zacchaeus, an outcast who Jesus befriends. How might these texts be related to the issue of bullying? Who is the bully in the text? (Even though this is not immediately clear, particularly in the Zacchaeus text.) What do these scriptures say about how we might respond to bullying? How do we see Jesus using or not using "power" in these passages? Also consider: What was Jesus own response to being bullied by the religious leaders and government? Based on these stories, what might we argue is the Christ-like response when we encounter incidents of bullying?
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