The war in Iraq rages on. Despite the rapid progress of our
troops into Baghdad, much is still unsettled and it appears this
war and its aftermath will go on for years.
The war in Iraq rages on. Despite the rapid progress of our troops into Baghdad, much is still unsettled and it appears this war and its aftermath will go on for years.
How should Christians respond to war? The Bible tells us there are four things we can do:
First and foremost, we can pray. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, “First, I tell you to pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to him. Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives…” We need to understand that prayer is to fuel everything we do. We are to pray for our military personnel in the conflict, their families and friends, the innocent people who are caught in the crossfire and even our enemies (Matt. 5:44). Paul especially singles out our leaders for prayer. Pray for the president, the generals, the congress, for all who make decisions.
The second response of Christians is to trust God. Psalm 27 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? …Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will know no fear.” While we pray for our soldiers, we also accept the reality that when war happens, there are casualties. Lives have already been lost; more will be. So we’re to trust that God can carry us through whatever situations arise. We have many families in our community who have loved ones in Iraq. Let us pray for them and trust God to use their courage and sacrifice to make our world a better place.
The third response a Christian is to have is to seek peace. Psalm 34 says, “Seek peace and pursue it.” Before war breaks out, that means we are to do everything we can to bring about resolution in a nonviolent way. Much of the opposition to the Iraqi war stems from the view that our nation did not exhaust our other options before turning to war. But regardless of your view on this war, the truth is that in some cases, war is unavoidable. In those cases we can still pursue peace by attempting to accomplish our objectives with as little bloodshed as necessary.
This brings us to a final point I would like to stress: Regardless of our views on the appropriateness of this war, we need to lovingly support each other. We have men and women in harm’s way today. We have families at home who want to see their loved ones again and who agonize every time the latest news breaks. These men, women and their families need and deserve the support of every American. The Bible says “Help carry each other’s burdens. In this way you will follow Christ’s teachings.” None of us are islands unto ourselves. We need each other, and this becomes especially clear in times of crisis.
To honor God in our response to this war, let us do these four things regularly:
Pray daily for those who are in the conflict (on both sides!), our leaders, and the families who await at home.
Trust God regardless of what happens.
Seek peace, which starts in our own hearts and with us living peaceably with others who have a different view of the war than we do, and our neighbors of Iraqi descent and other nationalities akin to our enemy.
Support – in both word and deed – the men and women in the Middle East and the families at home.
May this war be over quickly. May our leaders lead with compassion, integrity, sincerity and wisdom. May our loved ones in the battle go forth with strength and courage, and may they come home safely. May our enemies become our friends. And may God use the evil that abounds in this war to cause people on both sides to realize that Christ Jesus is the only source of lasting peace and security.
