Thoughts on Veterans' Day

(From an e-letter column on Nov. 11, 2013)

I've been reflecting quite a bit today about the fact that it is Veteran's Day.   I confess that I feel a bit conflicted about this day.  On the one hand, I am profoundly grateful for those who have served, and who continue to serve, in our military services.  We too easily take for granted the freedoms we enjoy, and many of those freedoms have been enshrined by the sacrifices of our military members.  At the same time, I bemoan the fact that we have chosen to go to war as a nation numerous times.   I believe that war is most always indicative of a failure:  a failure of communication, of understanding, of diplomacy, of negotiation.  To be sure, the Church over the  centuries has declared certain conflicts to be "just wars."  But even the fact  that the Church came up with that concept early in its life indicates that there  had been some question about whether a Christian, as a member of society, could  participate in the actions of a government that was attempting to protect peace  and punish wickedness.

Here's what I think... First, war is an indication of the reality of sin and brokenness in our fallen world.  Second, I have the luxury of standing at my computer desk  to write this because people have sacrificed to protect our nation and our freedoms, and for those people I am profoundly grateful.  Third, we are called to work for  peace:  interpersonally as well as internationally.

I have a framed poster ready to hang in my study that speaks my heart's desire and my challenge about standing for peace.  Here's what it says:

"Peace plans its strategy and encircles the enemy.  Peace marshals its forces and storms the gates.  Peace gathers its weapons and pierces the defense.  Peace, like war, is waged. But Christ has turned it all around:

·      the weapons of peace are love, joy, goodness, longsuffering;

·      the arms of peace are justice, truth, patience, prayer;

·      the strategy of peace brings safety, welfare, happiness;

·      the forces of peace are the sons and daughters of God."

And so today, I have offered prayers of thanks for our military and civilian service members, and I have offered prayers for peace.  That's how I've tried to honor and observe this Veteran's Day.

Blessings and peace, Steve