Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Peace

Twenty-eight of us, including my friends Sherri Morgan, Doris Rausch and Ruth Alice White, participated in the peace vigil in Columbia last night. Vigilers held signs calling for an end to the war in Iraq. Others held candles. One car stopped and left us coffee and hot chocolate, which was much appreciated given the rainy weather. Another car stopped and offered us money. Many people honked, apparently in support of our stand.

I continue to pray that peace will come quickly to Iraq. The cost of war alarms me, but even were the war to be cheap, no financial price is low enough to offset the human costs of the conflict. Perhaps it is good that war is so expensive, so that people who don't calculate the spiritual cost of combat will at least realize the extent to which it diverts resources from humanitarian efforts. What do you think? Is there any price point at which war becomes reasonable? Should people of faith evaluate war in terms of monetary costs?

1 comment:

Bill Samuel said...

We should be guided by our faith, not our pocketbooks.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9)

All who take the sword will perish by the sword (Matthew 26:52)

Love your enemies; bless those who persecute you (Luke 6:27)

Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath..." (John 18:11)

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)