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07/26/2003 Entry: "So this is victory?!"

A few months ago, President Bush declared victory in the war with Iraq. Since that time, almost as many American and British military personnel have died at enemy hands as did during the "war." Now, our leaders have declared that these "gorilla" tactics should subside since we've managed to kill #2 & #3 on the Hussein top 10 hit list: his sons. Unfortunately, it looks like that, too, may have been an underestimate of the resolve of the pro-Hussein forces still in Iraq. It appears that they are now really ticked off and they are killing even more of our people than before.

I learned while I was on vacation that my niece's husband is in the Army assigned to a Humvee and is guarding something in Bagdad. He and his gunner are basically on the resistance movement's hit list of vulnerable targets. My District Superintendent's son is also somewhere in Bagdad and one of the men in his unit was assasinated while drinking a soda at the University. My brother-in-law is in southern Iraq on an air base in the desert and the grandson of my office manager in my last church is in the 4th Army that sustained 3 killings today. I guess this all has become just a little personal and I'm still waiting for something that convinces me that we are really wanted or needed in Iraq. Especially since we are now facing requests from Liberia for help and don't know that our dear friend in North Korea really has up his sleeve. That's not to mention our troops still going cave to cave in Afghanistan and trying to work around the war lords to establish a stable government there.

How do we apply the teachings of Christ to all of this? How do we as Christian citizens of various nations speak out against what we feel are unjust wars without being labeled unpatriotic for doing so? Or, maybe it doesn't matter since this world is our temporary home anyway. I believe in praying for my president, our congress and senate and all world leaders. But, Jesus also taught us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us as well.

Maybe this "victory" seems so victoriousless because there really appear to be no winners. Maybe the only true victories are those that we find in Jesus, and his opponents actually killed Him. Hum.

Well, these ramblings are out here just to stir up some thought and response.

Peace.

Ivan The Crank

Posted by michael @ 07/29/2003 06:13 AM CST

I'm a firm believer that since our armed forces fought and died for the freedoms we exercise, including freedom of speech and the freedom to disagree with our leaders while still praying for them, that we should actually exercise those freedoms. Also, just because we may not agree with a war or police action does not mean we don't support our troops. As Alice says, obviously we are pro troops (although here in the US many of our Vietnam troops were anything but supported when they returned from a war that was not theirs but they had to fight anyway. I hope we've learned our lesson from that - to seperate the war and political rammifications from those who have to fight it).

Posted by Ivanthecrank @ 07/28/2003 09:29 PM CST

PS reminds me of our anthem for last Sunday morning - Howells' "O pray for the peace of Jerusalem." Well yes, and Baghdad, and the middle East generally, and Liberia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, closer to home in NI .... is the list never-ending? I can't remember the exact stats., but haven't we had about 45 mins' world peace since '45? terrifying.

Posted by alice @ 07/27/2003 12:43 AM CST

Yeah, a tricky one.

My brother has just come home from the Gulf, for the second time, and is safe and well, thank God - though others in his regiment were not so lucky.

It's really hard to work this out from a Xn viewpoint - I'm anti war but obviously pro our trroops out there - how can we not be? and yet, and yet. The "unpatriotic" tag strikes home. As does the "pray for our leaders" one.

As you say, Humm.

alicex

Posted by alice @ 07/27/2003 12:41 AM CST