The Season of Exodus and Easter is a good time to take a deeper look at the direction we choose as a nation in this time of global conflict, endless wars and political abuse around the world. Easter reminds us that there must be another way. There can and must be a better life, not only beyond this one but also if we count on God’s power always available to us, there is no grave that can hold us. There is no stone that cannot be rolled back – whether it be greed or power abused, the need to dominate and control. There is no stumbling block that need have the last word. We are called to look at life with fresh eyes and imagine the kind of world God has in mind for us in this time of tragedy. It is not so much about what we will do but about making room for the power of God working in and through us. We have reminders of this when we look around us and see fresh life unfolding in nature as the green shoots push their way through the once frozen soil.
We can all work to create a culture of peace and challenge the values that dehumanize and destroy life. We rely too much on war for our economic wellbeing, and we need to seek and use other solutions to solve international problems that plague our world. Jim Wallis, a tireless advocate for peace and justice reminds us to think of the human cost of war, not only in an economic sense, but also in terms of human lives lost or left totally disabled as a result of the violence. The military budget for the US in 2010 was around $700 billion. The total cost of war in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds $1 trillion. In the two wars, 6,000 US citizens have lost their lives and over 40,000 are wounded. This does not include the number of citizens lost in the places where war is in progress.
Many are asking today, “How can we spend so much on destruction of human life when over one billion people are hungry worldwide?” Here in the US we are spending hundreds of millions more on the war in Libya at a tune when we are close to economic bankruptcy and in my opinion, moving toward spiritual bankruptcy if we continue on the same path which only creates more violence. We need to use our energy and resources to work for peace, justice and human dignity.
We are called to be truth- seekers and truth–proclaimers, and to call on our leaders to end the wars and divert our resources toward life-giving causes. School, hospitals and human resources are all badly needed to bring life, not death, to the people. Martin Luther King has often reminded us that every dollar spent on war is stolen from the people who need it the most ,who are trying to get the basic necessities of life for themselves and their children. May we see the urgency of this call, in a time of tragedy for millions around the world.
We need to call on God’s unfailing presence and realize that there is no slavery or darkness that cannot be overcome or that has the last word. Remind people that war is not the answer . It only leaves a legacy of more violence, destruction of human life and needed resources for people to survive.
Violence only begets more violence. War is never the answer. People in areas where violence abounds can be taught other ways to solve conflicts and to restore healing and hope in a broken and divided world. Let us claim the Easter promise of Jesus that we will never walk alone. As people of faith, we need to claim our power and put it to good use in restoring hope and harmony to our broken and bleeding world.
One place that I found inspiring was in Japan where many young troops were going into dangerous territory to deliver supplies and food to people dying of hunger following the environmental disaster in that country. Take time to look around and ask? “Where do I see signs of Eastering?’ Let us work to end the wars in Afghanistan and other areas. Let us begin today with courage and hope.
|
