Brian’s Reflection: Monday, October 1, 2007


War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter
how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will
not learn how to live together in peace by killing each
other's children.

- Jimmy Carter, President, born on this day, 1924


Need more be said? President Carter is correct. All the business about a warlike God in the Bible is a human projection. An attempt to justify our own belligerence. A belligerence that rises out of our own sin. Jesus cannot ever be used as a justification for unloving behaviour. Remember that, when Peter cut off the ear of one of the High Priest’s servant, Jesus healed him immediately. And reminded His followers that His Kingdom was not “of this World” - meaning that it did not follow the principles of human sin, vengeance, fear, or power.

War is always a necessary evil. It can never be justified as acceptable to God. Which means that it has its own spiritual “attitude”. War is engaged in reluctantly. With a deep sense of sorrow at the demeaning of the human character that always accompanies the waging of war. This is why we have the Geneva Conventions - to remind us not to relinquish our humanity even in the face of war’s ugliness and failure. Whenever we permit even the tinge of torture - as the present American administration and many other governments in the World have permitted recently - it is a sign that our humanity is being destroyed.

The Gospel of Christ is a Gospel of Peace. Those who have been baptized or who have chosen the Gospel path as the path to authentic humanity have chosen the Way of the Peacemaker. Many these days have perverted the Gospel to support their own perverted ends. It leads only to the continued crucifixion of Jesus about which Paul spoke.

“Make me an instrument of Thy Peace”. It is a prayer close to God’s heart.

Brian+