Wondering in Wars

The Cause of War

Every war, there is always justification. Most times justified as a right cause by the perpetuator or the one who starts the aggression. Right in their perspective but seen differently by the one who is at the receiving end. There will be historical issues of divisions based on land borders, language, religion, tribes, or other perceived wrongs. Some of those memories are still raw. The wrongs done by either one in the past or a third party in the past, which needs to be sorted out and finally. Issues from the past are usually extraordinarily complex and simple solutions can not be found for such complex situations. Nations try to sort it out by what they believe is the best way!

But at best it is always us vs them. We are right they are wrong, and we have to teach them a lesson. But in this us vs them we forget that as humanity we share a common origin, we carry a shared image, the image of God, and a common destiny of death and for those who believe in life after death, an eternal living together with no wars or revenge.

To see our enemies as one who share a common origin, common image and potentially a common destiny…

There is also the powerful vs the powerless in most wars. The Goliath vs David. At times it is power struggle between two big powers and the weak become the scapegoat in the fight between two powers. Leaders using aggression as opportunities to protect and preserve their legacies and personal kingdoms.

It is important to remember that God who is a God of Nations, and one who is high above the nations, hears the cry of those David’s, and those caught in the crossfires, though seemingly the Goliaths might be in the right even! God is one who sees and understand the heart of the leaders who perpetuate violence and aggression for their personal gains!

To hear what God hears and understand the heart of God, and to see beyond what is told and communicated to us by Media…

The Cost of War

What ever be the reason, justified or not justified, the common people bear the cost of war. The young men and women who are in the military and fighting a war which they may not really understand, the common people who are caught in the cross fires, and many others who will be internally displaced and become refugees. It is not only the physical, but the emotional, the psychological, the economic and the spiritual struggles that communities and families go through amid lives lost.

The poverty and destruction that affects developing or underdeveloped nations, and with one war, a set back by a few decades of development by nations, has happened repeatedly in history.

The powerful nations and the defense industry, building their empires and at the expense of those who are at the receiving end, is something that is accepted as spoils of war and inevitable! And encouraged to believe that the war fought today is to make tomorrow secure. 

The God whose heart pains at injustice, the plight of the alien, widow and the orphans, the refugees and displaced people, is that heart that we need to cultivate and be moved by…

The Concern in War

The challenge of living amidst war in a nation or nations caught in war is, we need to love the nation that we are part of but not to forget that we are human before we are nationals. It is easy to get caught in the majority narratives. The nationalistic perspectives and patriotic directions, or at times tribalistic narratives and communicated justice narratives take the upper hand.

But amidst these we need remember that there is an alternative narrative of the God's Kingdom and his plans for humanity. The image of God in all humans.  A Kingdom and humanity that extends beyond national boundaries. The mandate on us to love our nation at the same time love our enemies too. To remember that there is no us vs them and we are all in this world together though we may agree to disagree on issues that we face. The destiny and our future is not in the hands of the leaders but a God who is a God of history and future too.

The Confession in War

It is in such a context that we need to be confessing community. A community that confesses the shared vulnerability of our divisions. One that confesses that shared sin of us Vs them and divisions that we have created. Confessing the sin of self-promoting, preserving leaders and nations. The inability to love our enemies and our neighbors who might be different from us but share the same image. Confess the inabilty to forget forgive and move ahead. 

The Compassion in War

Such perspectives should lead us to a compassionate response, even if the war is far removed from us. Compassion that is driven by an understanding of truth behind what is happening. Compassion for the people who are caught in the cross fires. Compassion for the leaders who are blinded by evil. Compassion leading to anger at injustice and those who perpetuate injustice...

But compassion leading to concrete action – exploring how we can journey and accompany those who need that journey and accompaniment…