At church today, we prayed for those lost in war, this being Memorial Day weekend.
And the Sunday New York Times reports that 1,000 young American men and women have been killed in the war in Afghanistan thus far. Tens of thousands of civilians have also died in that war.
Meanwhile, we're still at war in Iraq.
Despite the administration's setting dates for withdrawals from both wars, I fear that we're locked in endless wars, with more to follow, perhaps the next one being on the Korean Peninsula.
God must surely get weary of my our prayers for those lost in war, whose number rises every year.
And God must surely wonder why we humans disobey his law of love and fail to outlaw war and violence and work together to eliminate the conditions that lead to war; namely, injustice, poverty, oppression.
It's good that we pray for the war dead, hold memorial events to them, decorate their graves.
Best of all, however, would be national and international resolve to say: No more war ever. No more war dead. Ever. And to mean it and act upon it.
Now that would be a fitting memorial to the dead.
I've been thinking today not only of all the soldiers sent to war who were hurt and killed, but others who have fought for justice, freedom and peace beyond military conflicts concerning the United States: Martin Luther King, Jr.; Mahatma Ghandi, Desmond Tutu... there are many to remember and to thank.
ReplyDeleteToday I made the mistake of reading the comments under the NPR news story about the Israeli raid on the Gaza aid ships. Many self-proclaimed Christians attacked those who condemned this violence - it left me discouraged.