War



"War is hell, but it makes for great television." I found it interesting that the CBS War coverage was interupted last night for Survivor. Fox delayed, but eventually showed American Idol. Pseudo-reality abounds in news and entertainment. War is now unreal enough to make good TV and TV is now unscripted enough to feel real. Somehow, its all the same...unless you are the guy dropping the bomb or the mother of the soldier the bomb lands on, then war still sucks.



I still think that I am a pacifist, but I don't agree with any of the reasons that most pacifists give for being against war. I am against war because it is such a good thing. It is so powerful that it allows human beings to believe in themselves even more. It is really hard to support a war without letting the mission of the war become the mission of your life. It is hard to support a war without worshiping some seemingly altruistic ideal other than God. Ultimately, it is hard for me to support a war because Jesus died on a cross when he could have called down an angelic army and had at it. It's hard to support a war between nations when I am already a soldier in a war agaisnt the powers at work in the world.



The tension comes when I have to acknowledge that there is part of me that is happy that this war might protect my children from violence in the future. I can trust God to protect me, but I still want the nation state to protect my kids. God, give me faith.