Ancient Resistance Manual for Modern Times

How do you stand up to injustice without letting anger consume you? How do you fight systems of oppression without becoming the very thing you oppose? These questions feel especially urgent right now, as many of us wrestle with complex emotions about violence, justice, and what it actually means to create change. This talk explores the Book of Revelation not as a cryptic prediction about the end times, but as a practical guide for "dissident discipleship" — learning to resist empire while staying grounded in what gives life rather than death. Drawing on the image of Jesus as "the Lion who is really a slain Lamb," we'll examine what it looks like to wield power through vulnerability and maintain hope without naive optimism. Whether you're familiar with religious texts or not, you'll walk away with concrete insights about navigating resistance, processing difficult emotions, and staying human in dehumanizing times.