640 GIs of the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment have re-enlisted en masse:
. . . Friday’s mass re-enlistment of soldiers just back from a second combat tour has raised eyebrows as far away as Washington, D.C.
In Iraq, the 5,000-soldier 3rd ACR faced frequent combat while handling a heavy load of counter-insurgency missions. They suffered 43 killed and 126 wounded. They haven’t even had their official welcome- home party yet.
For hundreds to re-enlist shows serious professionalism, said John Pike, director of the think tank Global Security. “It reflects well on the chain of command that people want to stick with it.”
They are walking the hero’s path.
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God bless the world! Even our enemies!
Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in Thee. Let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.
Psalm 25:1-5:
That assumes that our enemies our God’s enemies. In the Psalm, David’s enemy is an enemy of God and Israel. From a political-national standpoint, I think even our enemies (other nation-states) are no more an enemy of God and the kingdom than our nation-state. Because even are nation-state (the good ole U.S.A.) is opposed to God and the kingdom.
You see, every nation-state belonging to this world is an enemy of the kingdom.
But we remember that God incarnated in order to die for us and them, so maybe as Christians we should pray for God’s blessing on them as much as we pray for God’s blessing on us. No more, no less.
Men who volunteer to risk their lives for the safety and security of foreigners half-way around the globe are better than I am. They are practicing a measure of selfless sacrifice that is beyond me and that I admire. Therefore, I pray for God’s blessing upon them in their efforts.
Then there are those who are treacherous without excuse — those who commit a combination of suicide and homicide. Their bombings are designed for the express purpose of murdering as many civilians as possible and striking fear into the hearts of the rest.
Their acts pervert the very notion of selflessness. They sacrifice not to bring life, but to bring death. For them, I do not pray for God’s blessing. It would be sacrilege for pray that God bless them in their efforts.
For everyone (including me), I pray for God’s perfect judgment and His mercy.
I am not praying for God’s blessing upon our enemies missles, just like I am not praying for God’s blessings upon our missles (as I heard one Christian recently do).
I think we our a pretty idolatrous nation. For a “Christian” nation, we idolatrize money, safety, polotics, humanity, education, etc… (by idolatry, I mean that we treat each one of these items as a god that can set us free to pursue life and liberty — rather than seeking the one God who alone can grant life and liberty). My reading of the Bible understands idolatry to be as evil as committing acts of injustice. In fact, God repeatedly punished Israel for committing idolatry.
So from God’s perspective, we are not more righteous than the suicide bomber (btw, our enemies are idolatrous as well, their idolatry just takes a different form). We (Americans in general) just sin differently than our enemies.
So when I pray for God to bless both us and our enemies, I am praying that God would bless us so that we might both give up our idols and seek life from the one living God, who alone is Life.
I will never convince the Rex’s of this world that my heartfelt beliefs are correct. I will merely say this: in two weeks I go with my son as he signs his papers for the US Marine Corps. We are not afraid to put our lives where our mouths are. God bless those who protect the weak, who drive back the fanatical Islamists, and who do so with honor, duty, and courage.
Patrick,
What are “heartfelt beliefs?”
Contrary to what some might believe, I do have a high respect for anyone who is willing to sacrifice their own life for the welfare of another person — even if I am convicted that the avenue through which they act is wrong. And I do pray that your son will return safely, as I do for my own nephew (which I know is not the same as sending a son off).
But why does a “Christian” nation need protection. Is Jesus not raised from death? If he is and we are living in Christ, then what do we fear?
What or who is our military protecting? The Kingdom of God (which needs or defense) or another kingdom — the kingdom of U.S.A.(which stands defeated already, along with all other kingdoms, at the cross of Jesus)?
And who is the weak? The U.S.A.? The nation with the strongest military and economy and (arguably) the strongest educational system?
I would love to hear a case for our military presense (which, if I may remind us all, was a preemtive strike in Iraq) that is in coherent harmoney with a theology of the Kingdom of God and the cross of Jesus. I am all ears and am willing to consider it but every person I hear who disagrees with me only seems to be willing to critique the non-violent option without being able to offer a positive argument in support of Just-war.
At one time I argued for the just-war tradition but changed because I could not reconcile the use of military violence with my understanding of the Kingdom of God and the cross of Jesus.
So please don’t speak as if I am close-minded (especially when those who know me closely will tell say the complete opposite), just teach me why you are convinced otherwise.
Rex, Thank you for the kind spirit in which you wrote. I do not want to hijack this blog for my own use, but if I have to disagree with someone it is wonderful to do so in an irenic spirit!
You have heard all the arguments before, I’m sure. Paul called for an armed guard to protect him from the Jews — and yet Jesus was risen from the dead and he knew that. The first Gentile convert was a soldier and yet nonresistance and pacifism of any sort was not included in the gospel message to him. A hundred examples from the OT could be added to these along with Paul’s contention that those who bore the sword did so with the blessing of God. The reason for all of it? I am not wise enough to say, but I would venture to guess it has something to do with this not being heaven and the foolishness of trying to act like it was. We are a long way from home. The Peaceable Kingdom waits for us and still lies in the future.
Regardless, I, too, pray for peace.
Patrick,
Yes I have heard the arguments and still continue to try and hear the arguments. Nevertheless, even though we disagree on this particular issue, you and I and all the others who disagree on this issue can still share in the fellowship of Christ together as we all strive towards a better understanding of what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus in a cruel and suffering world.
For everyone interest…
I just picked up from the Library two books on the issue of just-war vs. pacifism.
“Love Your Enemy: Discipleship, Pacifism, and Just War Theory” by Lisa Sowle Cahill; this book presents both side of the issue.
“Between Pacifism and Jihad: Just War and Christian Tradition” by J. Daryl Charles; this book supports the just war theory.
And for those who are interested in reading an accesible yet profound case for pacifism, see “Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World” by Lee C. Camp
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