I will put this out first – I am not a complete pacifist, and I have deep respect for those who serve their country in the armed forces. That said – we who say they follow Jesus have taken His name in vain for over 1700 years by militarizing Him. Ever since Emperor Constantine – the great perverter of our faith – accepted the faith after seeing a flaming cross in the sky in 312 A.D., we have not just accepted war – we have blessed it. We claim to celebrate the Prince of Peace, but what we really want is the God of War – at least, that is what George Washington believed in. And again, to be clear, I am not saying that one cannot be a soldier and a follower of Jesus; what I am saying is that melding them into one is dangerously close to making violence sacred.
We are not the first to do this – think about the Crusades. Think about the term being bandied about lately, “warrior for Christ.” War is sometimes necessary, and without a strong defense, no nation can stand against aggression. This is a necessity, not a holy war, and when we take the Messiah of Love and turn Him into a tool of destruction and righteous retribution, we have lost our way. We can see it in the art that has been produced through the ages, and it begins with the Bible teaching us that angels are warriors, not cute little cherubs sprinkling fairy dust. We put flags on our altars – symbols that were used to indicate which army you belonged to as you went into battle. Some churches even have worship services that bless guns! And most of us grew up singing “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” It is hard to escape.
I appreciate the men and women who serve – I honor the memory of those who have died in defense of democracy – and I am impressed by those who choose to be chaplains in a system that is often at odds with their faith. Once we turn war into a holy endeavor, however, we have crossed a line. As people who believe in God, we should prepare for peace as much as we prepare for war. We should use violence as a last resort, not as a way to force ourselves – our faith – on others. And we should take the armor off Jesus – we should remove the weapons from His hands. He is the Lamb of God, not a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Prayer – Holy God, help us to only use war when we have no other options, seeking peace in this troubled world. Amen.
Today’s art is “Put on the Full Armor of God: by Shawna Lewellen.