Categories: uncategorized
Date: 05 October 2005 08:18:53
One of the things I'm trying to do with the kids is help them to understand what being a Christian is all about. Not just the good things, like going to heaven, performing miracles and listening to hour long sermons (usually on an obscure passage in Micah, but some of the bad things as well.
I mean, who in their right mind is going to turn the other cheek? If God made us with fists then don't we have a duty to use them? How can you love your neighbour when he's walking round with 10lbs of homemade explosives in his rucksack?
I was brought up to believe that Christianity was about believing in Jesus as the Saviour of the world. I also believed that you had a duty too protect your loved ones and the weak. If this meant that you had to blow the head off another person then you were justified.
Now I'm starting to get confused.
As I explain to the kids what Jesus expects of us, I find that I'm falling short myself. Am I good to my neighbour? Do I truly love my enemies? Do I always help others?
The answer is of course a very resounding, NO!!!!
The world is not an easy thing to understand.
An example would be Iraq. I disagreed with the reasons for going to war. Most of what was said about imminent danger from missiles, the attempts to buy uranium and Saddam's links to 9/11 were clearly make believe. However, I did agree that he had to go.
Here's the quandry.... Is it right to use force to remove evil? Should we have left him in place and not caused the problems that ensued? Was praying for his removal enough on its own?
I still think that the reason for war was wrong. I believe that his removal from power was right but should have been done 10 years earlier. I believe that the suffering people are going through in Iraq was caused by the inability of the US and UK not too have a plan for what came next. During WWII the Western allies were planning the civilian administration before the first soldier set foot in Normandy. In Iraq they hadn't even had time to plan the war properly.
So what could be done? Protesting against the war was a laudable thing to do but, knowing this government, we should have expected that we'd get no where. The war was fought and we need to do everything we can too help the people there. If that means supporting our guys on the ground then that's what needs to be done.
Remember that its not just Muslims suffering in Iraq. There is a Christian church there that needs our help, support and prayers. We often forget that, too use a politically incorrect term, not all "towelheads" are muslims. Maybe if we saw Arabs as something other than a homogenous lump we could understand them better.
For every terrorist there will be at least 10000 innocent people just wanting to earn a living and survive from day too day. For every fundamentalist there will be 10000 who are eager to hear the word of God. Even terrorists are willing to hear about the gospel of Jesus. It may not change their thinking but who knows how God will work in their lives?
As the body of Christ it our duty to act as one and breakdown national and cultural differences. If the Christians would set an example maybe others would see the Light.