Response to the war on Iraq: A pastoral perspective

Saddam Hussein ruled as a unjust tyrant. His weaponry posed potentially grave threats to peace. Was it now time for someone to assume moral authority, to “take him out”?

President Bush confesses faith in Christ. Does that make the American-led coalition’s mission to unseat Hussein just and right? Did God raise him up for this hour of history? Is one of these an evil man, and the other good?

Christian love

Disciples (followers) of Jesus confess that Jesus is the fullness of God’s love. He lived his life to show love, gave his life to prove love, and was raised to life again to establish the power of love over evil and death.

What Jesus said about love is either irrelevant, or it must be our standard for all forms of human behaviour. What did Jesus say about love? That we should love our neighbour as we love ourself. Among our neighbours, Jesus pointed out, are people we deem enemies.

Love, some say, has two dimensions: peace and justice. That is, love works to bring wholeness to relationships, but when there is imbalance in relationships because power is not shared properly, love strives to provide justice.

Applying love to the problem of Iraq

Many Christians would argue that love expressed in a thrust for justice required war at this time in order to bring peace to Iraq ultimately. Specifically, the barrier to God’s will for a just society (Hussein) had to be removed. America, standing on its claim of attempting to act with moral integrity and humanitarianism during wars and in the rebuilding of nations after war, is purportedly the best instrument for God to use.

Others would protest that the methods of war never resolve justice issues. Violence begets more violence. The way of Jesus Christ for Americans would be that they use their wealth and might to see to fair distribution of food for the world’s hungry, and concentrate less on protecting their own political and economic interests, or polishing their own “good guy” image.

An opportunity to deepen discipleship

Thelma Hall, in her wonderful little book about prayer, Too Deep for Words, writes, “The form that discipleship takes is conditioned by the historic times in which one lives, as well as by the context of an individual’s life.” In other words, one cannot be a follower of Jesus and not participate somehow in the real issues and problems of the world. She goes on to say, “But the underlying principle remains: each of us is called by love to love; called out of our narrow individualism . . . to allow ourselves to be ‘turned around’ by . . . God.” This means that if we claim to love God in Jesus, we will allow ourselves to be transformed as we become aware of how much God loves us and each person in creation, including strangers and enemies. Every step of the way we are called by Jesus, not to prove our righteousness and integrity by standing for peace or justice, as important as those things are, but to allow God to prove His love to us, then through us.

What view will we take of this war? Our views will vary, with one person believing that not enough was done by way of peaceful diplomatic and humanitarian strategies, and the other convinced that it is finally time for a good beating on the bad guys.

Whatever our view, we should, as Christians, be resolved to allow this horrifying reality of war to call us to a clearer discipleship. Will we seek now a deeper experience of the love of God and renew our vows to demonstrate what we learn of His love in our attitudes, actions and choices?

A call to make changes

Whether it was or was not time for action in Iraq is now a matter of retrospective debate. But how will this war change me? That’s the only question for which I have control of the answer. What will this moment in world history mean for what I teach or model in words and actions to my children, family, colleagues and friends? Will I simply stumble along and let the media shape my understanding of the good and bad on both sides? Will I be “entertained” by news coverage of live military action (and perhaps less shocked or saddened than I am by a novel or movie)? Or will I commit to study what peace and justice really mean? Will I grow in my awareness of local and global issues, for the sake of knowing how I might reflect the love of Jesus in acts of generosity and service in the world? Will I make more effective contributions to alleviate poverty? Will I strive to see my school, home, work and church situations as contexts where I can “make a difference”? Will I reach out in the name of Jesus to neighbours? Will I support missions to strangers in faraway lands, offering the message of the love of Christ, the Prince of Peace, so that by God’s grace the world can become a better place? Will I try to make Jesus’ life and teaching my example and inspiration for loving and forgiving those “enemies” I find it hard not to hate?

Kingdoms on earth

Jesus did not mean some other place when He said, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” He was not praying for God to bring on Armageddon. He made it clear to His disciples that the Kingdom of God was “within them” and “among them” and that it would be established on the earth as they went everywhere teaching what He had taught and living as He had lived.

The world kingdoms – which God allows to exist, “empowering” rulers to act for peace and justice – call for their dues. Iraq is a world kingdom. So is the United States. Neither embodies nearly the whole scope of Kingdom values Jesus lived for – but both are kingdoms He died for. Which kingdom is mine? What kind of citizen am I? Will I let God transform me into the kind of citizen who knows what love is and who shows what love is for Jesus’ sake?

These are difficult days, with matters difficult to understand. By God’s grace, may I grow more loving as I follow Him. It is the only pure political thing I can do.

Doug Schulz is senior pastor of Vineland (Ont.) MB Church.