THE COSTLINESS OF WAR & AMERICA'S LACK OF IT

I am reading a book by Roland H. Bainton titled, "Christian Attitudes Towards War & Peace: A Historical Survey and Critical Re-evaluation".  It is a book basically dealing with the different Christian viewpoints on war.  As many of you know, I am a combat veteran of the Iraq war, who served a year in Baghdad, Iraq in 2004, just twelve months after the war began.  Having seen many of the horrific things that one can be subjected to during human conflict on a grand scale, I have a higher vantage point with which to judge the truths portrayed in this book.  I am not saying this to lift myself up, but to expose America's utter ignorance of what sort of world we truly live in.  'To what purpose?' you might ask.  I believe that the Christians in America, for the most part are lazy.  This laziness is in large part due to the massive amount of affluence and peace that has been achieved in this land.  I would go so far as to call it a curse, rather than a blessing.  Sin is actually more difficult to put away when one is comfortable than when one has the feeling of being on the verge of some major, life-changing event, like death, or the Lord's return let's say.  The Proverbs agree with me on this: 

Proverbs 19:15 Laziness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle man will suffer hunger.

Spiritually interpreted, one can see that if we do not, with diligence, seek the Lord, we will go hungry due to a lack of His Spirit.  And what causes this laziness in a spiritual man?  I submit to you that in part it can be contributed to the fact that we, as Americans do not see a real need to run to the Lord.  Theologically, we may agree that we ought to, but in America there really is not any reality to this need.  Well, there is, but it is not felt because we are so comfortable.  We do not know what it is to thirst or hunger.  We say, "I am hungry", but in reality could go days without food if we had to.  We say, "I am thirsty" and yet the only time we truly suffer from dehydration is when we have drank too much soda in one day, but never from actual lack. 

I have been reading about how the ancient people critiqued war.  There are so many quotes I could write here, but I will only need a few to make my point.  Pindar said, "Sweet is war to him who knows it not."  Is this not true of America?  Every other movie that is pumped out of Hollywood is about war.  We make light of men killing men in any setting, because we have never seen it on a grand scale.  Not something you bought a ticket to see for two hours, but an 'in your face' reality that was forced upon you by military action in which there is no hope for a return to normalcy.  Pindar again says, "Even by the feeble a city may be shaken to its foundation, but to set it up again is a sore struggle."  The atrocities that war produces shakes the place where the combat occurred into such oblivion that it will never be the same again.  This is because the very people who still reside in those areas will forever be people who have been subjected to the worst form of violence evil men can offer and will now, due to that subjection to violence, be themselves more prone to violence.

I am seeking to make a point.  I do not dare say that the best thing for America is war on its own soil, although that would indeed change the face of American attitude significantly.  War is a very helpful analogy for me to see the reality of the spiritual battle that is raging in the world.  The point I am trying to make is this.  Christians in America are lazy in part because we do not get to see the heinousness of sin that is raging in the world around us.  Real people are killed every day by military and para-military forces all over the world and done so in a way that I am not even able to mention on this blog.  The world is indeed evil, dying and on its way to hell.  Theologically, we know this, but have we seen it?  I believe if we had seen it we would be crying out to the Lord more than we do.  The issue is our comfort level.  We are being satisfied by the comforts of this world and are not in any urgent need to seek the Lord for revival.  I am an American and suffer from the same malady as all of you do.  We are a product of our society, but knowing that only shows us our enemy.  We must take action against such an enemy.

What is the solution?  I believe what Paul told Timothy in 2Timothy 2:1-7 is a good place to start.  Consider the thought that Paul is expressing here.  

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.  Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.  The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.  Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. 

 There is not the option of entangling oneself with the affairs of this world.  We must be hardened soldiers, prepared to do battle with a spiritual enemy.  But how can we keep up this attitude if we are comfortable with the things of this world?  A soldier cannot relax and fight at the same time.  I will leave you with one last quote from John Piper.  He sums up my point in a wonderful way in his book, "The Pleasure of God".

"Thousands of Christians do not hear the diabolic bombs dropping and the bullets zinging overhead.They don't smell the hellish agent Orange in the whitened harvest of the world. They don't cringe or weep at the thousands who perish every week. They don't reckon with spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places and the world rulers of this present darkness. In fact, it is not dark, they say. It is bright and comfortable and cheery--just look at my home and car and office and cabin and boat. And listen to my new stereo and look at my new video equipment."

"How can a sense of urgency and passion and zeal become a part of the Christian ethos today? How can the sweaty, bruised, thrilling courage of wartime camaraderie become as deeply ingrained in our mindset as the warm and comfortable images of family and flock? How might we ever get our conference meetings out of the posh, luxurious hotels and convention centers and meet in something fitting for the Calvary Road--something that says wartime austerity, and radical sacrifice, and Spartan readiness to go anywhere and do anything at any pain for the King?"