A central theme of the story Peter tells in Gratitude is how the early Christians practiced what Peter calls a holy ingratitude.
Specifically, the Romans believed that Roman citizens owed a certain amount of gratitude toward the state. Romans lived in a great, prosperous and generally peaceful empire. Thus, Roman citizens owed the state gratitude.
But the Christians seemed to differ. Confessing Jesus as "Lord of all" and directing their gratitude toward God rather than toward the state the Christians busted up the cycles of gratitude that had kept Roman citizens bound to the state.
One way that Christians expressed this holy ingratitude was in their refusal to kill for the state. This refusal struck the Romans as hugely ungrateful. Christians benefited as Roman citizens. Yet they refuse to participate in the fighting that created and maintained all those benefits. Non-violent Christians in their refusal to participate in the Roman military were non-patriotic slackers and free-riders.
In short, the pacifism of the early Christians was experienced as shockingly ungrateful.
And yet, this was a holy ingratitude as Christians were obediently following the non-violent ethic of Jesus.
And it seems to me that nothing much has changed.
Specifically, the main criticism directed at Christian pacifists in the US (or in other nation states) is the same criticism Rome directed at the early Christians: ingratitude. How can you enjoy the benefits of the state that others have died for yet refuse to participate in the protection and maintenance of the state?
In short, in the eyes of the state pacifism has always seemed profoundly, shockingly and infuriatingly ungrateful.
This Christian ingratitude was the main reason the Romans hated, loathed and despised the early Christians and persecuted them so vigorously.
And this holy ingratitude continues to be the reason why the Way of Jesus remains so galling today.
