I just finished writing a letter to a friend of mine who is in the U.S. Army.  Though he has yet to tour Iraq or Afghanistan (he entered only recently), he is well aware that he will likely do so soon.  As a result, he also knows, he may soon be asked to kill another human being.  Yes, he will do so under orders, and yes, he will probably do so to deter aggressive attacks or defend himself but, regardless, he will be put into a position to end another person's life.
     Granted, the context of war is extremely complex, and difficult to understand from one standpoint alone.  We judge it with caution and care.  On one hand, as Barack Obama noted when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, sometimes war may be necessary.  On the other hand, as Civil War General William Sherman put it, "War is hell."  It's a two edged sword.  If we ever come to enjoy, to genuinely enjoy war, however, we step into a moral abyss from which there is no return.  Sometimes death is welcome, sometimes it is not.  But it's never normal.  It's never the way things ought to be.
     God surely weeps at the wars in which humanity has engaged (and in which it continues to engage).  He weeps for those fighting them, he weeps for those killed by them.  Above all, God wants peace.  Above all, God wants shalom (Arabic shalim), that wonderful and ancient word for harmony and well being.  The global calculus we face is of course extremely complicated, but God wants us to approach it with wisdom and compassion, to live for the greater good of all.  So does the New Testament letter to the Galatians urge us, "Do good to all people."
     By the way, I will be traveling next week, off on another wilderness adventure.  I'll catch up with this blog when I return.  Thanks so much for reading!