"musings" on the war
On almost all the other blogs I read, the word "musings" is used to describe what the author is doing in their blog. I don't personally think that I muse very much. I have tried at times to get my muse on, but it always seems artificial...
Anyway, this weekend marks the third anniversary of the war in Iraq. I remember having a beer in Applebee's with my friend Nate and watching "Shock and Awe" happen. At the time, I hadn't fully formed by opinions on the war or on our President (other than having not voted for him), but I was certain that the war would be brief like the first Iraq war I had lived through.
Fast forward to today. I have definite feelings about the war and the president. In neither case are the feelings positive. The war was ill-advised. It has diverted resources from domestic programs that desperately need up keep, it has ruined the US's image internationally, it has cost the lives of thousands of US troops and countless Iraqis. All of this while asking very little from the rich of this country. No, instead they get tax breaks. Tax breaks! During a war! AHHH!!!!
This weekend has been full of anti-war protests. I wonder if the President cares about how much he has polarized the country. I wonder if he cares that he has given the Christian faith another black eye.
Oh, and speaking of giving Christianity a black eye, Fred Phelps was organizing a protest at a killed soldiers funeral. He claims that the deaths from the Iraq war are God's punishment for the country's stance on homosexuality. In case you are not familiar with Mr. Phelps, he is the sick fuck who protested outside of Mr. Rogers' funeral saying that Mr. Rogers was in hell for not condemning gay people. AHHH!!!
My Bonhoeffer devotional had a section in it about praying for your enemies the other day. He said that those prayers do for your enemy what they cannot do for themselves. I suppose that's true. It's a way of showing solidarity with fellow creations of God. When I think about my enemy, I don't think about Iraqis. Or "the terrorists". I think about people like Fred Phelps. Sometimes I think about people like W. Its hard to pray for them. They misrepresent our faith at every turn. Jesus made a point of not condemning people. Phelps makes a point of condemning people. Jesus established an ethic of nonretaliation. Bush lives by an ethic of an eye for an eye. These are the people that God wants me to have solidarity with. These are the ones I need to pray for.
God, give me the strength to pray for my enemies!
Anyway, this weekend marks the third anniversary of the war in Iraq. I remember having a beer in Applebee's with my friend Nate and watching "Shock and Awe" happen. At the time, I hadn't fully formed by opinions on the war or on our President (other than having not voted for him), but I was certain that the war would be brief like the first Iraq war I had lived through.
Fast forward to today. I have definite feelings about the war and the president. In neither case are the feelings positive. The war was ill-advised. It has diverted resources from domestic programs that desperately need up keep, it has ruined the US's image internationally, it has cost the lives of thousands of US troops and countless Iraqis. All of this while asking very little from the rich of this country. No, instead they get tax breaks. Tax breaks! During a war! AHHH!!!!
This weekend has been full of anti-war protests. I wonder if the President cares about how much he has polarized the country. I wonder if he cares that he has given the Christian faith another black eye.
Oh, and speaking of giving Christianity a black eye, Fred Phelps was organizing a protest at a killed soldiers funeral. He claims that the deaths from the Iraq war are God's punishment for the country's stance on homosexuality. In case you are not familiar with Mr. Phelps, he is the sick fuck who protested outside of Mr. Rogers' funeral saying that Mr. Rogers was in hell for not condemning gay people. AHHH!!!
My Bonhoeffer devotional had a section in it about praying for your enemies the other day. He said that those prayers do for your enemy what they cannot do for themselves. I suppose that's true. It's a way of showing solidarity with fellow creations of God. When I think about my enemy, I don't think about Iraqis. Or "the terrorists". I think about people like Fred Phelps. Sometimes I think about people like W. Its hard to pray for them. They misrepresent our faith at every turn. Jesus made a point of not condemning people. Phelps makes a point of condemning people. Jesus established an ethic of nonretaliation. Bush lives by an ethic of an eye for an eye. These are the people that God wants me to have solidarity with. These are the ones I need to pray for.
God, give me the strength to pray for my enemies!
