Thought for Today:
Numbers 10:9 When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, so that you may be remembered before the LORD your God and be saved from your enemies.
Psalm 33:17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save.
Luke 14:31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
James 4:1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?
Yesterday I cited war as an example of foolishness. I asked, “Why do we do foolish things? Is foolish behavior inherent to our being human beings?” War, foolishness and human behavior are much on my mind this morning.
I was born during a war. That war followed the Great War or the War to Save Democracy, also known as the War to End All War. WWII and WWI were cataclysmic events resulting in massive destruction of property and excessive loss of life. Yet during my lifetime there have been (too) many other wars. As Sonny and Cher famously sang, “the beat goes on.”
Why? What makes anyone think (1) war is the only recourse; (2) this war will finally solve the problem; (3) it’s worth the cost? There are 2 wars currently in progress. Thankfully, our own country is not an active participant in either. Sadly, given the state of our technology in warfare, in transportation and in communication, our nation is being affected by both. Irrespective of which side you favor in either war, the U.S.A. will be affected by the outcome of both wars. As Sonny and Cher famously sang, “the beat goes on.”
Sadly, throughout human history, religion has often played a significant role in war. There have been wars without any religious conflict being a factor. I’m not aware of any religious influence in WWI. Human greed seems to have been the prime causative agent. But all religions and faith traditions have at some time been a casus belli. There is an element of that in the current conflict in Gaza. Since the earliest evidence of human habitation, the area known today as the Middle East has been a locus belli, an area of war. Much of that regional conflict has been associated with religion. Both Christianity and Islam have initiated the conflicts. Both Christianity and Islam have been victims.
Equally sadly, Jesus’ words “Matthew 24:6 you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet” seem to have been especially prescient. We have heard; we continue to hear of wars and rumors of wars.
I remember studying in high school about past wars and attempts to somehow overcome our proclivity toward warfare. The League of Nations arose in response to the horrors of WWI. The League of Nations proved ineffective and collapsed. The United Nations arose in response to the horrors of WWII. The verdict is still out on the United Nations. It has stopped neither wars nor rumors of wars.
Spoiler alert! I don’t have an answer to the issue of war. But, I do have an abiding interest. What is my proper call, my duty as a Christian toward war? Hopefully, no one will be surprised to hear that I am opposed to war. I believe that it is always wrong to take another human life. Sadly, I also know that there are times when we are left no choice. The U.S.A. did not want WWII. We were attacked. In any debate on the morality of WWII, on the use of atomic bombs or anything else, Pearl Harbor must always be acknowledged. The same is true of the current war in Gaza. Israel was attacked in a brutal, inhuman terrorist attack against innocent men, women, children and infants. That war could be stopped at any time by return of the hostages and turning the perpetrators of that attack over to the UN for prosecution.
The closest I can come as a Christian to the issue of war is to pray the Lord’s Prayer and to stress “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God’s will is that we love each other, that we accept God’s freely given gift of grace. Unfortunately, the details are the devil’s playground.
Stay safe, learn to love each other, trust God,
Pastor Ray