Discussion Questions

Vince describes realizing he was “fighting the wrong war with the wrong weapons, looking for the wrong objectives” after seeing the “two kingdoms” framework (Colossians 1:13; Romans 8:1; “we wrestle not against flesh and blood”); what does that imply about God’s priorities for His people, and which “objectives” do Christians today commonly chase that might actually belong to a different kingdom? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it mean that Vince says Christians often fight the “wrong war” with the “wrong weapons”? What goals do Christians today chase that may really belong to a different kingdom than God’s?

Vince says non-resistance is “obedience to God” supported by a “compendium of scripture,” not “cherry-picking”; what would it look like for your group to test whether your own views on violence/self-defense are built on a whole-Bible structure or on a few favorite proof texts—and where do you feel most tempted to select texts that protect your instincts? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How could your group check whether your beliefs about violence or self-defense come from the whole Bible, not just a few favorite verses? Where are you most tempted to pick verses that support what you already want to do?

He insists non-resistance is not “peaceful living…a life of ease,” and also not the 1970s-style rebellious “peace movement” that may even get violent; how does that reshape the picture of what God is calling Christians into—especially if obedience to Jesus’ peace includes suffering, inconvenience, and being misunderstood? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If non-resistance is not an easy, comfortable life—and not a trendy protest movement—what kind of life is Jesus calling Christians to? How does it change things if obeying Jesus’ peace means suffering and being misunderstood?

Vince criticizes the “might makes right” concept and the “big gorilla in the room” posture, then asks how the enemy views us; how does this challenge the way modern Christians attach moral certainty to national power, and what does it expose about how easily Christians assume “we’re always right”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does Vince’s criticism of “might makes right” challenge the way Christians connect being “right” with having national power? What does it show about how easily we assume our side is always right?

He calls out patriotic church practices (uniforms on Memorial Day, flag processions, pledges, patriotic songs alongside Christian symbols) as evidence that “the two are so intertwined”; what specific loyalties are being discipled into people in those moments, and how would early Christians—who confessed “Jesus is Lord” in a rival empire—have heard and responded to that blend? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When churches mix patriotic acts (flags, pledges, special songs) with worship, what loyalties are they teaching people to have? How might early Christians, who said “Jesus is Lord” under a rival empire, respond to that mix?

Vince argues the biggest obstacle is cultural formation: social media bombardment, war-themed toys and games, and even Anabaptists getting concealed-carry permits; where have you personally noticed “retaliation-thinking” bleeding into your home or church life, and what practices would actually disrupt that formation rather than merely criticizing it? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where have you seen a payback mindset (“get even,” “hit back”) slip into your home or church? What habits could actually retrain you, instead of just complaining about the culture?

Using the flight manual illustration, Vince says emergency procedures had to be memorized so they “came out of you,” and he parallels that with scripture and “be ready always to give an answer”; what teachings of Jesus about enemies and retaliation do you want to become “second nature” under stress, and what training would it require to make that real rather than theoretical? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What teachings of Jesus about loving enemies and not getting even do you want to do automatically under stress? What kind of practice or training would help those teachings become natural for you?

Vince calls hypothetical “home invasion” questions a trap that keeps the questioner “in control,” like “Have you stopped kicking your dog yet?”; when people press those scenarios, what deeper heart commitments are they trying to protect, and how can you respond in a way that refuses the trap but still honors real fears and real victims? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When people bring up “home invasion” questions, what deeper belief or fear are they trying to hold on to? How can you answer without getting trapped, while still taking real fears and victims seriously?

He lists alternatives to violence—fleeing, giving up valuables, offering help to meet the attacker’s need, putting yourself between attacker and victim, “strategic withdrawal”—and admits “it may not work”; what does it reveal about God’s character that Jesus might call us to a path that may not “work” in the success-oriented sense, and where do you most resist a God who doesn’t promise control? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it say about God that Jesus might call us to nonviolent choices that may not “work” the way we want? Where do you struggle most with trusting God when you can’t control the outcome?

Vince recounts dropping bombs, being numb enough to wonder about dinner while bombs fell, and then contrasts war’s moral collapse (“the end justifies the means”) with “clear conscience,” joy in pleasing God, and alternative service; which parts of that description confront modern evangelical assumptions about grace, moral injury, and assurance—especially the idea that a Christian can do violence for a “good cause” and remain spiritually unaffected? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does Vince’s war story challenge the idea that a Christian can do violence for a “good cause” and be fine inside? What does it make you think about grace, deep guilt or trauma, and confidence that you are right with God?