Thought for Today
Isaiah 11:9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
Micah 4:3 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more;
Mark 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
“And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,” (The Star-Spangled Banner, vs. 1 line 5)
Most of us learned that song in elementary school. We sang it regularly. Recently, on the 4th, as part of our 250th celebrations, we heard that song, sang that song often. How many of us really listened to that line?
If you have listened to or watched the news reports this weekend or this morning, you are aware that the rockets are still glaring and the bombs are still bursting. Thankfully, they are not glaring and bursting in Baltimore over Fort McHenry.
As Americans, our hearts are filled with pride (and hopefully with thanksgiving) as we sing our national anthem. That is okay and that is a good thing. But, we too easily forget that all of that glaring and all of that bursting is accompanied by death and destruction. Rockets and bombs are violent instruments of destructive power. All of the celebratory firework displays we enjoyed attendant to the 4th and the 250th were peaceful representations of those destructive killing instruments. That full mercenary potential is currently being released in another theater in the Middle East. Infrastructure and people are being destroyed.
I do not consider myself a pacifist. Long ago, I learned on the playgrounds of my youth the sad truth that our world includes bullies. Bullies will only stop bullying when they are confronted. I also learned the sad truth that there are those who honestly and firmly believe differently than do I. There are those whose beliefs are antithetical to my own. Opposing views of life, of good and evil, of deity so contrary to mine that they cannot coexist in the same arena of life.
Ultimately, history will decide the winners and losers in this current struggle . . . at least from a commercial and military perspective. One side or the other will prevail. History suggests that at least temporarily, might does make right.
However, I am a Christian. While I understand about standing up to bullies, while I understand about defending our best interests against military and/or commercial aggression, I also understand what Jesus meant by “my peace I give to you.” I do not believe Jesus gave his disciples or us longer range rockets or bigger bombs. Jesus did not think in terms of bunker-busting bombs or armor-penetrating munitions.
Jesus’ peace is not the peace enforced by greater or more destructive munitions or armaments. If anyone has any doubts or misunderstandings about Jesus’ message, I suggest you read the New Testament and take note of the life Jesus led. Jesus did not train with the Roman army. Jesus did not join the Zealots (although he did call one Zealot as a disciple). Jesus was not a commando in the IDF.
Listen to the words of Jesus, "Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." "Matthew 28:18 All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
I wish I had all of the answers to how to stop those rockets from glaring and those bombs from bursting . . . I do not. The best I can offer is encouragement to pray for peace and to remember the words of Joshua, “24:15 as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Pray for peace, serve God, trust God,
Pastor Ray