The news is stuffed with wars and rumours of wars. Tensions escalate every day within the Midde East, Russia and China flex their muscles, and the pinnacle of Nato recently accused Donald Trump of undermining Western security by his latest inflammatory comments.
Alongside this we read a stream of panicky stories about funding and recruitment crises in our armed forces, and the possible reintroduction of conscription.
No wonder fears of World War Three are rising. To a generation raised on Second World War nostalgia, the prospect of really having to be involved in the same scale conflict – amplified by the event of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons – is pretty frightening.
How should we predict in regards to the concept of war? There are two principal Christian approaches.
The first is pacifism – the concept taking on arms is unsuitable in all circumstances. This view emphasises Jesus’ command to like our enemies, and his yielding to the Jewish and Roman authorities. He could have called down armies of angels to rescue him, but he selected to submit.
The second approach builds on ‘just war theory’ in response to a threat. The cause have to be righteous, the response have to be proportionate and discriminate, and there have to be an expectation of a successful end result. This view holds that it’s legitimate for Christians to hitch the armed forces as servants of the authorities instituted by God to maintain order (see Romans 13).
What each these views have in common is that “vengeance is the Lord’s”. We should never act out of rage, or for revenge. God requires justice, but he tempers retribution with mercy.
These concepts give us a framework for desirous about how we would respond, should our country find itself going to war. But in fact we hope and pray this example is not going to arise.
It is so tempting to withdraw – to disregard the news – as a approach to address our fears. Or we would grow to be so anxious that we feel paralysed and helpless.
But I would like to encourage us to take comfort in Jesus’s words in Matthew 24:6: “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you simply will not be alarmed.” A relentless refrain throughout the Bible to fearful people (often spoken by an angel), is “Do not be afraid.”
Do not be afraid. Ask for God’s peace, and do channel your concerns into positive motion. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
First and foremost then, we should always be praying. I do not just mean sending up occasional arrow prayers, but properly interceding for the desperate situations we see across the globe. We needs to be crying out to God for the world that he loves: for wisdom, restraint and mercy – for governments, rulers, freedoms, deliverance and peace.
Secondly, as Christians we’re called to be energetic peacemakers: to interact in our communities and political life, to model reconciliation and never stoke division.
John Stott, in his classic work, Issues Facing Christians Today, tells us what this could appear like: Christ “means his Church to be an indication of his kingdom, that’s, a model of what human community looks like when it comes under his rule of righteousness and peace.”
“An authentic Kingdom community,” he says, “will then challenge the worth system of the secular community and offer a viable alternative… The influence for peace of communities of peace is inestimable.”
And as we engage, we want to repeatedly concentrate on how we perceive others. The more we’re suspicious towards those that don’t appear to be us, the simpler it’s to fuel division and hatred, and the simpler it then becomes to justify aggression against those that are different. This is why I speak out so often against any policy or line of argument that portrays any group of individuals as lower than human. All are made within the image of God.
Finally, we want to recollect the hope that now we have. The world is fallen, stuffed with anger and division. We cannot bring perfect peace to earth by our own efforts. So we must stand on God’s promise to renew all things. Let’s turn the words of Isaiah 2:3-4 into our prayer for today:
” The law will exit from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations
and can settle disputes for a lot of peoples.
They will beat their swords into ploughshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation is not going to take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war any more.”
Amen
Tim Farron has been the Member of Parliament for Westmorland and Lonsdale since 2005, and served because the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party from 2015 to 2017.Tim can also be the host of Premier’s ‘A Mucky Business’ podcast. His latest book A Mucky Business: Why Christians should get entangled in politics is published in November.
