War
There are wars going on right now in countries far from here. Some we're aware of, and others we may never hear about on the evening news.
They are wars between countries, civil wars, conflicts, and insurgencies. A quick tally of information found on Wikipedia places the number of dead from these wars in 2024 at 219,489 people. There were more if I'd included the "smaller" warzones. Syria's civil war is still ongoing and began in 2011.
I watch the news every evening and see the starving children, crying as they stand alone in front of a mound of rubble, possibly where they used to live, and where the rest of their families are now crushed and buried.
I see huge crowds of people covered in dust and dirt, their hands stretched out holding empty bowls in an attempt to get even a taste of the food being shared. "Food" is a loose term here. It looks like dirty water.
Lastly, I see men, women, and children who are unarmed fleeing one location at the insistence of gunfire closing in on them. They have nothing--no possessions, no change of clothes, no food, no shelter. They're scared, exhausted, and starving. They're in this situation through no fault of their own. Gangs, cartels, and governments decided their fate. No doubt power, greed, and even pride are the underlying factors. The people who make these types of decisions don't suffer. They're safely tucked away behind barricades of stone and militia.
If I mentioned a specific war, a certain civil war, a cartel, a militia, or a terrorist group, each person here would have an opinion about it. We "take sides" even though we have nothing to do with it. Maybe we protest or post memes on social media to share our views. This is all fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. However, some people get so worked up about a cause that they feel called to kill individuals, or groups of people who, in their mind, represent the enemy.
The world seems to be manifesting hate. It's us against "them," whoever "they" happen to be. The enemy (the "they") didn't used to be an issue. We didn't see anything wrong with them until a person of power told us why we shouldn't tolerate them. We're told they're thieves, murderers, gang members. We're told what we should think and feel about the "theys" of the world.
I'm reminded of the Corrie Ten Boom story. She and her family were well-known watchmakers. They were respected members of their community. When the Germans invaded the Netherlands, Corrie and her family got involved with the Dutch Resistance, taking in Jews and helping them escape. Eventually, someone found out about it and turned them in to the Gestapo.
She, her sister Bessie, and her father, Casper, were arrested and sent to prison. Her father died 10 days later.
It amazes me how someone can rise to power, often by promising to "fix" things, and then, in the course of their reign, vilify a certain ethnicity, or trait and convince those of the preferred race, to believe they're subpar humans. Hitler executed Jews, and handicapped people. His idea of a perfect race was blonde hair, blue-eyed people in excellent health. He believed that by exterminating those who were undesirable, he could create a perfect race. Neighbors turned against neighbors.
The most appalling part of this was that Hitler modeled his ideas on American laws. Nazi Germany began by instigating two new laws: the Reich Citizenship Law and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor. These were based on our laws, which controlled Native Americans, Filipinos, and African Americans.
As The Church, we need to keep our eyes focused on God, and the Holy Spirit in our hearts. When Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and then reminds us that everyone is our neighbor, He didn't give a list of exceptions. As children, we were taught this belief as "The Golden Rule." The most valuable, important rule of all.
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12 ESV
Father, I pray for all of those who are suffering right now. I ask that you help those caught up in war and ask that you find them refuge. Please fill their bowls with food, and their hearts with Your Peace. Please end the hate and devastation across the globe. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
