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How to deal with war? ...

Thursday, Jan 7, 2016. There is war in several places of our planet. You all know the news, perhaps you have been part of the war, you have been there, living in the country which is now devastated, or you have been a part of the war, as soldier or as civilian? War means death. People die. They die of hunger, and by direct impact of weapons and violence.

Tears …

First of all, I must say that I am in tears because of the war. If you sincerely open your heart about what happens in the Arabic world currently, in Syria, in Saudi Arabia, in Iran and Iraq and many African states, you can be in tears and stay in tears. Hunger and terror is a daily experience. I believe that God is in tears as well, that he is moved more than any human on the planet!

When we look into the New Testament, we see Jesus in tears about Jerusalem. And we see his anger about the behavior of humans. His anger is strong, and his mercy is strong as well. He sees and talks about the blindness of mankind, the stupidity of our behavior, but also about our responsibility for it, about sin and guilt, which is in all of this. And he warns us, that it will not stop completely, that the fight for superiority and power will continue to be there within mankind:

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, … (Matthew 24)

What to do? …

What is it we can do? We can be full of compassion. We can work towards peace. But people do not want peace, they want to win their war. They want to impose their ideas, their cruel law, their superiority. They want the others die or go away. They want to reign. And in times of war the moral of many becomes completely twisted - humans do what they would have never done in times of peace.

As Christians, it is not completely determined what type of military activity we are allowed to work with. It is an old discussion: should we take part in the war by military action to end it and to establish peace, or should be keep out of any military action and in the worst case live under a bad dictatorship of our enemy. Can we beat hatred by love? Can we overcome ignorance and pain?

God has shown his way in and with Jesus. He did not come as warrier, but as a little baby into our world. He came with love, with truth, with mercy. He came to save, not to destroy. That should be our guidance, that is our life and our hope and our future! Can we change the wars of our world by truth and compassion and mercy? Can we overcome the criminal activities by purity and love? What steps are to be taken practically? Let us continue to think and to act and to move forward in faith! (RWEP) ... more texts