Of War And Peace

Turning the other cheek is part of our Christian doctrine and theology. The major question we must answer about turning the other cheek is what do we do when our child is attacked. What do we do when our family is attacked? Do we tell our child to turn the other cheek and become a victim when we have the power to prevent harm? Do we let innocent people be victimized when we have the power to stop the perpetrators? We live in a nation and world of laws. When persons violate those laws should we try to stop the violators? Should we let the violators continue to do what they do without any effort on our part to protect members of our society or world? Do we feel any responsibility to protect our children from persons who would hurt them or harm them? Are we responsible for the protection of our young, our old, and our infirm? Are we responsible for protecting those who cannot protect themselves? Are we responsible for protecting our young from those forces that would kill them?

Love has two sides. One side of love is the encompassing compassion, warmth, and caring that wraps around our souls and lifts us up. The warming side of love detests violence of any sort. The other side of love is the protective side that protects us at any cost. Christ went to the Cross to keep our souls from being victimized by the satanic darkness that lurks within us. It was the encompassing compassion, warmth, and caring for us that caused Christ to surrender His life to the violence of the darkness. Christ gave His life to protect us from the eternal darkness that so wants to capture us and keep us in eternal fire.

The same violence of the darkness that nailed Christ to the Cross wants to violently destroy you, your family, your friends, and your country. Christ died to save us from that violence and from that darkness. Christ died so we could have a life in Heaven with Him. Christ died to protect us from the eternal consuming darkness that inspires the evil of the world.

Christ did not want to go to the Cross. He did not want to do what He did. Christ went to the violence of the Cross with His heart filled with consuming love for each of us. The most crucial question we must answer about waging war and embracing peace is whether we have love. Is the act of pacification or waging war done based upon love? Do we wage war to protect our children's lives? Do we wage war to give the people of our earth a chance to express the small part of them that reaches up to God? Do we wage war or refrain from waging war to ensure life for future generations to follow after us? Do we refrain from waging war to stop the immediate threat?

One of our difficulties is the problem of the immediate threat to our lives. We can be quite erudite when we are not under any immediate danger or threat. We can totally embrace peace and pacifism when our life and the life of our child, our parent, our loved ones, and others is not being immediately threatened. However, what do we do when an insane murderer starts shooting at a loved one? Do we offer that loved one up to the insanity of the assailant without any effort at protecting our loved one? Do we offer up the life of another person without their consent?