Today, those of us in the United States of America, celebrate Memorial Day. According to wikipedia, the first Memorial Day was held in 1865 by liberated slaves who wanted to honor the men who died in the American Civil War. However, following World War I, the day was expanded to include the memory of all US soldiers who were killed in action.
While those of us in the US might feel stirrings of patriotism as we remember those who have fallen while serving our country, for all of us who are Christian, there should be a certain level of discontent with Memorial Day or any other similar national holiday, simply because what these days hold onto are temporary.
In Isaiah 2:4, the Hebrew prophet writes, "He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and 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 anymore."
To give Isaiah 2:1-4 a bit more context, the prophet is painting a picture of the future that God has in store for the creation. In addition to speaking of a time and place where there is no more war, the prophet offers images of people coming to follow the Lord and learning to walk according to God's will. In other words, war is not part of God's desire for the creation and there will come a day when Christ brings war to an end. As a result, those of us who are Christian, should feel an odd tension whenever war comes into the conversation.
But notice, I say an odd tension, not a blatant opposition. This is because those of us who are Christian are also called to recognize that the age where war doesn't exist is not yet upon us and, as a result, there are times when war is a necessity.
To help Christians deal with this tension, Early Church Father Augustine developed the foundation for discussions that continue today on "just war". Based on his study of the Bible, Augustine concluded that a war must meet three base criteria to be considered just. First, it must have a just cause, as opposed to a cause rooted in self-benefit or the demonstration of power. Second, the war must be waged by an authority that God has given the power of the sword, namely a government. Finally, the war must be conducted in such a way that even in the midst of aggression, actions would be motivated by love.
Do you feel the tension in Memorial Day and similar holidays? What tools do you use to deal with the reality of war?
Odd tension or blatant opposition?
I'm not so sure I would call it an "odd tension." Sometimes I think war, especially as our nation seems to be eager to be invoved in it, is rather blatant opposition to God's will. In our church on Sunday we prayed, "This day we remember with compassion Your children who have lost their lives to war; incline us to honor their memory, dear Lord, with a sincere pledge to seek peace and nonviolent solutions to world conflict." I'm sure that people thought those were fine words, but I wonder how sincere we are about such a pledge. When we vote, do we vote for what we think might be good for us (economically), or do we vote for what we feel to be in accordance with God's will? I know, it's not all that black and white, but I do believe that we are often more motivated by self-interest than by "God's will" for the world.
Self-Interest
I have to agree that we are often motivated by self interest rather than Gods will. Do people vote for what will bring them the biggest paycheck or what will be best for Gods people? Do we vote for what it good or what brings us a feeling of pleasure in the moment? There are some tough questions that, I think, are good for us to regularly ask ourselves.
But, not everyone is motivated by self interest all the time. There are tons of relief organizations, soup kitchens, and other places where people give of their time and money to help others. In the media we are constantly flooded by stories of self interest. When I look around I see lots of people doing selfless things (and this is happening in the self centered culture I live in).
And, war is complicated. Not just in the war and the reasons behind the wars but in how we respond. How many of us who are disconnected from a war respond to it in a sinful way? How many of us judge others for their involvement in a war? How many of us forget to hold our tongues and only say things to build others up in love when it comes to war?
I have to agree that the time of war is not over. Not because I don't like war (I really don't like war) but because sinful people who do terrible things still have free reign to do terrible things. Sadly, sometimes we just can't talk them out of doing it and we have to defend those they hurt. War is one of those reasons I really look forward to the second coming. I won't miss it one bit.
A comforting thought
Regardless of how sincere we are or whether or not we've made the right decisions, we can take comfort in the fact that God is sovereign and his will WILL be done.
Sometimes I think that we need to just accept what is going on in the world as God working his ultimate plan. Not that this should be an excuse for laziness or inaction (I still think we need to take action against those things that we believe are wrong), but like it says in Mark 13:7-8 and Matthew 24:6-8, we shouldn't cause ourselves worry when things don't go the way we think they should. It is very well possible that God is at work and who are we to question God?
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"I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand: for this I also believe, that unless I believe I will not understand." --Anselm of Canterbury
Works Things For Good
I'm, also, reminded that God works things for the good of his people. This even happens in wars and even wars where we go into a wrong and bad war. It's comforting to know that God works things for everyone's good despite our screw ups.
should be
As I pause and read what you've said revtom, I have to think that, at least with a portion of the Christian world, that you're right. So many people I know don't have any tension about the reality of war or with holidays like Memorial Day, rather, for them, it seems to have the same kind of vibe as Easter or Christmas. Then again, I'm not sure how many in that crowd are down with the bwl.
Maybe a better question is, for those on this site, do you have an odd tension with the fact that war is part of our experience on this earth?