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The Kingdom that Turned the World Upside Down  /  Chapter 9, But What If  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 7
In the motel robbery account, Olivia’s singing “Jesus loves me” functions as a kind of nonviolent resistance that disarms the attackers; what does this story suggest about the power of worship, testimony, and prayer in moments of threat, and what would you be willing (or unwilling) to do if that approach failed?
Another way to ask: In the motel robbery story, Olivia singing “Jesus loves me” seems to stop the attackers without violence. What does this suggest about worship, sharing faith, and prayer during danger, and what would you do if that didn’t work?

Direct Answer The story suggests worship and testimony can be a real form of resistance that God uses to restrain evil, not a passive “doing nothing.” Bercot presents prayer and outspoken faith as actions that can disarm attackers without violence.

Support from Transcript:

  • The robbers had guns and ordered victims face down—Bercot notes similar robberies ended with victims shot, heightening the danger.
  • Decio kneels “praying and trying to think of a way to foil the robbery,” treating prayer as active resistance.
  • Olivia sings “Jesus loves me” and walks toward the armed men, essentially giving a testimony in the moment.
  • One robber cocks the gun at her face, but they retreat saying, “These are a bunch of Jesus nuts. Let’s get out of here.”
  • Bercot generalizes: he has heard “many other accounts” where “a prayer, a hymn, or a testimony effectively disarmed” an assailant.
  • He warns against empty worship: “There’s no point singing…if we don’t really believe.”
Discussion Follow-ups The transcript doesn’t spell out what to do if it failed; it emphasizes entrusting outcomes to God. Are you willing to accept suffering rather than use violence, and what does that reveal about what you believe prayer really accomplishes?

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