We are a nation at war. And we’ve been that way for a long time. For the last twenty-eight years, we have been engaged in armed conflict with other nations. Grenada, Beirut, Panama, Persian Gulf, Somalia, Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Philippines, and Iraq are all well known arenas of armed conflict. What you may not know is that the U.S. has been engaged in armed conflict in over 40 countires since the end of the Cold War.
Leaders of the free world? A Christian nation? Only by reputation, not by action. We hold on dearly to our World War II glory days. Liberators. Freedom fighters. Heroes. Not anymore. And we know it’s all over. But we’ve conceded the moral high ground to arguments that claim that all of this conflict is in our “best interest.” Our casual attitude may be rooted in a misperception about the impact of war on people. We like to think it’s the “good ol’ days.” During World War I, civilians made up fewer than 5 percent of all casualties. Today, 75 percent or more of those killed or wounded in wars are non-combatants.
It’s wrong and we know it’s wrong. So how come nobody seems to be fighting back? Where is the voice of reason? We all know war is terrible and evil. And yet we are too quick to accept it as a necessary evil. Why? Is it because we’re terrible, evil people? Is it because we cherish our comforts and luxuries so much that we don’t care who dies as long as it means we can still go shopping in safety? No. Or at least, let’s sure hope not. The real problem is leadership.
We’ve been sold out by our leaders. Government, social, religious. No place can you find a forceful and compelling voice for peace. For an end to conflict. An end to needless dying. An end to war.
What’s going on?!?! Where is our Lennon? Where is our Gandhi? Where is our Jesus? Where is our champion of peace?
When we were mired in a war no one seemed to want, John Lennon was using his celebrity to build his case that “all you need is love.” Together, with his wife Yoko, they staged one demonstration after another, declaring “war is over — if you want it.“ At their second Bed-In For Peace, Lennon wrote and recorded “Give Peace a Chance”. Released as a single, it was quickly taken up as an anti-war anthem and sung by a quarter of a million demonstrators against the Vietnam War in Washington, DC, on the second Vietnam Moratorium Day. Lennon was a vocal leader against the senseless violence of the Vietnam War and he helped propel the entire nation into countless demonstrations against the war.
When the people of India were being oppressed and forced to live in poverty by an uncaring and racially bigoted British Empire, Mohandas Gandhi taught an entire nation how to resist evil through non-cooperation. Talk about your moral high ground. Gandhi lead an entire nation in rebellion against the most powerful empire in the world refusing to return evil for evil and at the same time, refusing to cooperate with evil. Their rebellion against the British government was conducted without violence and, as Gandhi had promised, their moral position would wear down their opponent. By the end of World War II, England gave up and turned control of the government over to the Indian people.
All you need is love. Do not return evil for evil. These were world changing ideas that had been introduced 2,000 years earlier. Jesus implored us to put others first. “No more eye for an eye. Love your neighbor as yourself.“ His teaching sparked a worldwide movement that continues to this day. So why does the church not denounce war? Why do pastors and clergy and church leaders, and bishops and ministers remain silent while millions of lives are lost in senseless violence? Why do millions of Christians, so-called Christ followers, ignore their Lord and Master? Only God knows. Christian nation indeed.
Champion of peace! Show yourself! The world needs you now. We are too good for this nonsense. We can rise above this ridiculous history of needless conflict. We just need a leader to follow. Or do we? How much influence do you have? A few hundred Facebook friends? Twitter followers? Do you attend church or temple or little league games? What can you do? We’re all just one.
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