Today is an interesting day for me. I have been reading a lot of Facebook statuses about thanking veterans, etc. And it seems like that is right. Much like the police protect a city (and I am trying to appreciate the police more, really I am!), it seems necessary and right that a country would have a military force that defends its citizens. However, there can be considerable and legitimate debate as to whether or not everything the US military does around the world is all about simply protecting its citizens. It seems we go on "offense" a lot, too.
On the one hand, I sincerely appreciate what it must take for a soldier to put himself in harms way for others. My grandfather served in World War II, and I have numerous other cousins and friends who have served in the military. How could I take such action lightly, especially when I have lived a life of relative safety? But isn't there a better way to solve conflicts than resorting to weapons and violence?
I look at the example of Jesus, who was willing to die at the hands of his enemies, but was not willing to kill them. And he urged us to accept persecution and pray for those who would oppress us. I never want to dismiss the teachings of Christ in the name of practicality, in fact, I believe nonviolence and peacemaking are in fact much more practical and successful in helping people forgive and care for each other. Are American Christians willing to accept persecution in the name of following Christ? What does that even look like in a messy and sinful world?
I am really not trying to placate both sides or avoid offending anyone, but this issue is just difficult.
I would enjoy hearing what others think or feel...feel free to leave a comment.
-Ryan
Thanks for sharing Ryan!
ReplyDeleteI have struggled with this entire topic for years/decades. I'll limit myself to a few comments.
1. The one thing many of us learned from the Vietnam war is that inappropriate and dare I say immoral to vilify service men and women. Jesus never did this, even when he was hanging on the cross. My father, uncles, son-in-law, niece, and nephews have served faithfully. I am compelled to honor them and their service, but I struggle, trying to figure out how to do this appropriately and with full intellectual integrity. So, for now, I simply thank them for their sacrifice and their service, and leave it at that.
2. As you say, this is particularly difficult since we are enjoying the safety of our home and communities -- without having to make any direct sacrifice ourselves. It occurs to me that one of our more incidious errors as a society is our devotion to feeling safe and secure, at any level. We will do anything in order to feel safe and secure. Many of us have even prayed, thanking God for the ability to worship him safely and without intrusion. The indirect assumption here is that, whether with God's help or not, it is our military might (or police on a local level) that provide us with safety. This does not seem scriptural at all to me. Recent interviews with former Pres. Bush indicate that keeping America safe was his #1 priority. That may be exactly what most Americans want from their Pres. But I'm not sure that "safety" should be our first concerns as believers. We have only one source of safety, which is the Lord, whether in life or death. Is it possible we are worshipping "safety" along with human endeavor to accomplish it?
3. So, why is safety so important to us? Perhaps it is not wanting to go through persecution, as you suggest. Speaking for myself, I want safety because I don't want anyone taking MY stuff. After all, I've worked hard for my stuff and waited a long time for the market to rebound. I don't want some rogue nation upsetting my apple cart. I want peace just as much as the next guy, as long as I can keep my stuff. So, if I'm REALLY honest (gosh, this is painful), I appreciate the sacrifice of veterans because I have been able to keep all my stuff.
I'd better stop now.
Peace,
Steve Barber
Since I cannot figure out how to post a new thread, I will do it as another comment.
ReplyDeleteOn this Christmas Day, I am reminded that when Jesus was born, there were no obvious and earth-shattering changes. Rome still exerted its rule over the Mediterranean region. Political, social and economic systems continued their pursuit of power, influence, comfort, security and superiority at the expense and on the backs of those without standing or a voice. Atrocities were committed during a time that was later referred to as Roman Peace. And yet on that providential day, a pebble fell into a pond, this speck of a town, on this “pale blue dot”, that would change everything. Hope was born as the poor were blasted by the first ripples of that change while they were “watching over their flocks at night.” Lest we become discouraged, it has always been about the ripples, moving across the ponds of our existence, fostering hope in one heart at a time, changing one life at a time, and pronouncing the cause of justice – one injustice at a time.