Which War?


 

Wars are never good.  There is rarely a just war.  War is the result of failure.  Failure to compromise.  Failure to communicate.  Failure of leadership.  Wars are the result of our broken humanity.  They are rooted in projection, greed, and pride.  People are deceived by lies and half-truths. Whole populations can be falsely demonized.  Further, the results of war are always damaging.  Scars of pain and suffering are formed that will last for generations.   Wars rarely solve anything and almost always set the stage for… the next war.  


This is not to say that God is still not hard at work during times of war.  God continually reaches out to all who will stop and listen.  Grace-filled moments can happen during war.  Amazing incidents of courage take place.  Incredible acts of kindness occur.  Deeper understanding of other people by many does develop.  Some individuals find and are found by God in extraordinary ways.  Often soldiers, who are asked to fight, display great courage.  They learn much about God's sacrificial love by protecting human life.  Just soldiers should never be vilified.  The true causes of war can usually be found at the feet of corrupt and/ or misguided leaders.


Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  (Ephesians 6: 10-12 NIV)


The letter to the church in Ephesus reminds us, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against… the spiritual forces of evil."  Our biggest adversary is never our fellow human beings; no matter who they are, what they look like, or where they live.  No! Instead our biggest enemy is evil.  It is the evil that can lurk inside anybody, but that never has to define us or dictate our actions.  Evil can hide in the human heart under the umbrella of hate.  This is often fueled by fear and misunderstanding. Evil swirls about and takes root in the dark unenlightened places of our psyche.  However, there is one sure way to combat all forms of evil.  SHINE THE LIGHT OF GOD'S LOVE ON IT!  God's love has the power to scatter every kind of darkness.  To participate in this work of God's love, we are each called to cultivate our own spiritual life.  In other words, the true antidote to the evil that produces war is letting God's love guide our spiritual life.  It starts by examining our own hearts through prayer, self-awareness, forgiveness, understanding, and love.  It is that easy, and it is that hard. 


If everyone joins God's love in this battle against spiritual darkness, then the way of true world peace will be found!  Weakness waits for another to back down.  Courageous strength loves so much, it sees the true enemy while sacrificially nailed to a cross. 


Today is God’s Present!


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