A mother sends her child off to war. She comes home and prays for her son’s safety and victory. Her prayers ask God to protect him and to destroy his enemies. She wants her son to come home as a war hero, someone who risks his life to protect the liberty of his family and country. Her friends and family also pray for him. They pray for his safe return and reunion of his family. Their country wants them to believe that the war is holy and her son is noble. So they trust that God will watch over him and help him wipe out his enemies.
Another mother on the opposing side of the war sends off her son to meet the other son in battle. She, her friends, and her family also pray to God for victory and safety. They wish God to grant him power to destroy his enemies. The propaganda wants them to believe that he is fighting for a good cause. And of course the loving Father in Heaven will watch out for his servant on this mission for justice.
Both mothers pray with good intentions. But little do they know, they are praying for total destruction to each other. Their prayers ask God to kill the enemy in battle so that they can have victory. Each side prays for God to ignore the other’s prayer and annihilate her son. They wish that God would kill another son, take him away from his family forever, and leave his mother in grief. Only this way, can they have their noble victory and their son can become heroes of war.
What is God to do about this?
About Me
- Peter
- What are we to do here on earth? What is each person's job description? What has God called you to do? What happens if you don't follow His plan?
I would argue that Jesus would (WWJD?) contend that war is never a just means of pursuing an ends, because war inherently relies on the ability of one socially constructed class of people "judging" the transgressions of another such class. But then again, I'm not one to speak for Jesus. Furthermore, when have we ever had a war that was not tainted with human desire (greed, oppression, imperialism...)?
ReplyDeleteWatch MLK Jr.'s Speech on Vietnam on youtube... I think it answers your question well. (He did receive a Grammy for it after all.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b80Bsw0UG-U
How involved in our lives do you think God is? As in... having a direct "puppet-string" coordination of the events of our every-day lives?
ReplyDeleteExcellent speech by MLK! I agree with your first comment. To answer your second comment, I believe God is very active in our lives. Unlike a Deist, I believe God is still shaping this world. He makes wars happen for a reason, one beyond my understanding. A direct "puppet-string" coordination is not an bad illustration.
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