With a new year unfortunately comes
the same violence as well in the same areas of the world, including Iraq. To try and alleviate this violence, 20,000
more troops are being sent. There is no
doubt a need for additional help, but, in the words of the Psalmist, where will
our help come from? We are putting our
faith in force. Perhaps a bigger hammer
will help us drive the nail that is Iraq.
But is Iraq really a nail? Is a
bigger hammer really the best tool?
What will keep us (U.S.) safe?
The answer lies in where we put our
faith. There are a myriad of
imperatives calling on the faithful to trust in God to provide all we need and
to keep us safe from harm. In addition,
there are several instances where we are warned not to put our trust in the
leaders and nations of this world, but to turn our gaze heavenward and focus
upon the life of Christ as our model.
This is easier said than done of course. Life is about the constant struggle to remain a faithful disciple
and to grow in our trust and love for God.
In trusting God and following Christ, we are called to love others and
to engage them as fellow human beings, creations born in the image of God. It is only through loving kindness that we
will reap the true security that we seek.
Iraq is not a nail of mindless,
brainless, amorphous evil. It is a
nation struggling to discover its identity.
The U.S., rather than letting Iraq evolve on its own, is attempting to
beat them into a shape it likes crushing many innocents along the way. No doubt it is a scary time in Iraq and the
world. But acting violently out of our
fear will only beget additional violence, resulting in a spiral that eventually
will consume us all.
In spite of the results of the past
election, widely regarded as a condemnation of the war in Iraq, we continue to
trust violence. In the face of
thousands of religious leaders from a wide variety of traditions who have said
no to war in Iraq since its beginning nearly 4 years ago, the killing
continues. Against the growing chorus
of domestic political leaders, world leaders, and ordinary citizens in the
streets, the U.S. is sending more weapons and violence. Instead of choosing diplomacy, the choice
has been made for war. As we pound even
more relentlessly on the Iraqi people, only time will tell whether there is
another hammer out there, one with our name on it.
Keith Swartzendruber
Peace Lens
is a periodic reflection on current events. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the Anabaptist Peace Center - Washington, DC
