Mr. Netanyahu: Genghis Khan conquered lands, but Christ conquered death

This is why the martyrs hold such a central place in the life of the church. They do not resist evil with violence. They do not "win" in the eyes of the world. Yet their witness proclaims a deeper victory -- the victory of faith, of love, and of truth. History itself, when seen more deeply, offers striking confirmations of this Gospel logic. Again and again, individuals who embraced nonviolence, humility and truth -- often inspired directly or indirectly by Christ -- have transformed the course of history far more enduringly than those who relied on force. The early Christians, through witness and martyrdom, overcame the Roman Empire not by the sword, but by faith; Benedict of Norcia helped rebuild a collapsing civilization not through power, but through prayer, work and community; Francis of Assisi renewed the church through radical poverty, peace and love of all creation; Catherine of Siena, without armies or office, spoke truth to power and helped guide the church in a time of crisis; Mahatma Gandhi led a movement of nonviolent resistance that changed the fate of a nation; Martin Luther King Jr. confronted injustice not with weapons, but with truth, courage and sacrificial love rooted in the Gospel; and Nelson Mandela, after years of imprisonment, chose reconciliation over revenge, helping to heal a divided nation. None of these figures "won" by domination. Their strength lay in moral truth, perseverance and a willingness to suffer rather than inflict suffering. Their impact continues to shape the world long after the power of their opponents has faded. The irony in the original statement, then, becomes even clearer. If one judges history only by visible, immediate victories, then yes -- Christ appears to have "no advantage." But when history is seen in its fullness, a different pattern emerges: It is not violence, but truth; not domination, but love; not fear, but sacrifice that endures. Genghis Khan conquered lands. Christ conquered death. And in the light of the Resurrection, we come to see that what seemed like weakness was the greatest strength, and what seemed like loss was the beginning of eternal victory. For the Christian, this is not only a truth to be believed, it is a path to be lived. To follow Christ is to trust that even when goodness seems to suffer, even when truth seems overshadowed, even when love appears to lose, God is at work in a deeper way. And in the end, it is not power, but love -- crucified and risen -- that has the final word.