This article investigates the reception of Jesus’ command to ‘turn the other cheek’ and ‘love your enemies’, as found in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:38–48, among Christian Palestinians. With the help of basic tools from the postcolonial discourse, structures of power, identity and subjectivity of these commands are examined. Although seeming to advocate a quiet acceptance of violence, the commands are interpreted as empowering calls to contribute to the transformation of the self, the other and the society. A person’s dignity is seen to be restored and the transition from reactivity to agency is made possible. At the same time as the commandment of love ensures the uncompromising work for mutual respect and affirmation of both parties’ humanness and creation in the image of God. Walter Wink helps to understand the logic of nonviolent resistance that the pericope is leading to in the eyes of the interviewees. In the last section, both the Bible text and the insights gained by the examination of its reception are condensed and further expanded by a theory of love inspired by Dorothee Sölle. This theory of love argues that love is not only a general approach to life, rather than a sentimental feeling, but the basic principle of life, the courage to continue to love where no reason or hope is left, just the will to remain and love into the void. This is interpreted to be the strongest kind of love and a tremendous empowerment in the reinvention of identity.Contribution: This article contributes to the examination of identity processes within the field of theology and Bible interpretation as liberation and empowerment. The ethical and political relevancy of Scripture is here actualised in the example of the Palestinian context where questions of identity, justice and agency are more important than ever.

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of managers’ role in change. Managers are a lynchpin in the success of a change as they stand closest to employees and they are both implementing change but also being affected by change. In this study, we explore managers´ readiness of change. Readiness of change refers to what employees perceive as the balance between costs and benefits of maintaining a behavior. In practice, it is about psychological willingness to cooperate in bringing the change to fruition. We interviewed 19 managers in public sector organizations. The findings indicate that strong change readiness of managers requires organizational support, time resources for people management and participative organizational culture. Study highlights the individual experience and interpretation of meaningfulness of change. This can be achieved by communicating the consequences and benefits of change clearly and by engaging managers in change already in the early phase.