A lot of this has been percolating in my brain for a long time. Delving into Yoder this week and attending Harris’s class on the Kingdom really pushed me over the top.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time reflecting on the notion of just war recently. And I’m not really questioning whether the war we’re currently engaged in is “just”. (I made up my mind about that a long time ago.) I’m wondering if there’s such a thing as a just war. I ask myself: Is any war justified? Are there situations where God would call us to bear arms? Could I honestly bring myself to strike an individual created in God’s own image? Is this kind of malice ever justified?
The tension is palpable for me. On the one hand, I have an innate craving for justice. I desire to stand up for the poor, the put down, the put upon. I am most moved when I hear of global injustices, situations where a person or group of people are denied the basic dignity they deserve. When a tyrant yields his will in an oppressive manner, subjecting his subjects to poverty (or worse) as a result of his own greed or lust for power, my visceral reaction is for justice. In these situations, bearing the sword may be necessary to establish peace. World War II is a classic example.
But the image of God argument resonates with me. I dare not disrespect those who serve in our military, those who make incredible sacrifices — ultimate sacrifices, in some cases — in the name of liberty. My liberty. The liberty I exercise even now as I write freely. Please hear me when I say I have the deepest respect for those who have purchased the freedom I enjoy. But I’m having a hard time ignoring the words and actions of Jesus here. Was His death not the greatest injustice? Yet, when He was struck, He turned the other cheek. When the crowd hurled insults, He absorbed them silently. When the Romans nailed Him to the cross, He prayed for them. Am I reading too much into the moment when He commanded Peter to sheathe his sword? What do we make of His cryptic utterance: “For all who take the sword will perish by the sword,” in Matt. 26:52?
I see the situation in Darfur today and I can’t help but ask: What should our response be? An estimated 300,000 people have died since conflict broke out between the Arab Janjaweed group and the non-Arab peoples of western Sudan in February 2003. (For more details, click here.) Thousands of children have been left orphaned, watching as their parents are tortured, raped and killed. Would we be justified to invade the Darfur region and put an end to this genocide? Some say we have the power to act, yet we choose not to, as such action would not serve our political purposes. I don’t know. I know enough to know these situations are complicated and often beyond my limited understanding. But I see the massive loss of life and the obscenity of such a great injustice and I ask: Why not? Wouldn’t this be a justified action? Is James 4:17 even relevant here?
As you can see, I have more questions than answers. I desperately want to develop a consistent ethic of human life. I want justice to roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream. More than anything, I want my faith in Christ to help shape my worldview. So there you have it. Anybody else wrestle with this same tension? How do you all reconcile all this with your faith?
already & not yet 
Hi little BroI haven’t answers either. However, one quote remains ever-so-present in front of my other thoughts……..”Peace is not the absence of conflict, rather it is the presence of JUSTICE”.Since we messed with God’s initial plan, we have created a world with little peace and a lot of unjustice. The innocent often pay the highest price in this unjust world. Sometimes I feel that only God can undo what man has done.One thing is certain, as long as Satan has power, the will be conflict. He wages war with us over this world and our souls. Many lives have been taken because of his power. I look forward to the day when the war is over and he LOOSES!Take care!BIG SIS
Jason,I too struggle with the idea of war and the possibility of a “just war.” I’ve included my thoughts on Yoder and my limited knowledge of his theology of non-violence.I appreciate what little I’ve read of Yoder, and those who follow in his Anabaptist heritage, in his proposition of an alternative view to dealing with conflict. It seems, historically speaking, our Western approach is to crush anything that threatens our identity as a person or nation, and we do so in the name of justice and freedom. Yet, Jesus never calls us to turn the other check EXCEPT when it threatens our liberties or well-being. In fact, the call to turn the other check is a constant reminder that people will often NOT respect us, or our interests. Jesus seems to suggest that those things aren’t worth “fighting” for. We have been given a greater mission – namely a mission that involves us putting others – even those who would attack us – before our notions of rights and freedoms in an effort to propel the message of his kingdom into the hate-filled places of our society.Additionally, I have to remember that Yoder is not calling for pacifism, but non-violence. That is to say, he never once believes that we should just lie down and take it. Quite the opposite, he believes we should do everything within our ability to confront the injustices of the world through non-violent means. For him, this is what is required of those who would take up their cross and follow after Jesus. We must take on a life that denies the urge to crush others, punish others, and even humiliate others in hopes that we can subversively change the way the world works as we continue to be ambassadors of a kingdom lifestyle. This was the life of Jesus. Yes, it cost him his life, and it might even cost us ours if we were to truly embrace such an ideology, but isn’t that what Jesus has been saying all along to us – “in order to find you life, you must first loose it”?All of this seems much easier when looking only at the Gospels in general and Jesus in particular. ? If Jesus is the “full representation of God” as Hebrews calls him, then how are we to make use of the Old Testament passages of Holy War? Were these permitted only for a time? Does the permission of war at one time in God’s history allow that there might be other permissive wartime scenarios?You’ve raised some good question, ones we should all wrestle with regardless of which side of the argument we end up on.
Great comments, Jason. I preached a few weeks ago from the book of Micah. In talking about the concept of justice, I stated how we needed to develop a more holistic view of what justice truly is. We often view it from a punitive standpoint: violators of justice getting their view. But true justice is redemptive and restorative. What was justice in the Rosa Parks arrest? From the myopic punitive view justice was her arrest because she broke the law. But true justice was the desegregation of buses in Mongtomery.People who are abused, forgotten and living in an unjust world do not fear justice, they crave it.
Sis,You’re right…there’s an element of justice at work in order to bring about peace. And I, too, long for the day when all injustice will be completely eradicated permanently and eternally.TH,I think pacifism is too often equated with cowardly inaction. That’s not the case, as I understand it. I find non-violence so appealing as an alternative because it’s anything but passive. It’s a call to action. Non-violence aims for justice, just as surely as does “war”. I find the non-violent approach to be more aligned with my value for human life. To that end, I find Yoder helpful as he calls us to act to bring justice while preserving human life. What works of his have you read?Scott,I know you’ve read a great deal re: the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s. Any texts you’d especially recommend? And I agree about our need for a more holistic understanding of justice.
Jason,The Yoder work I referenced is Preface to Theology. It was part of my exhausting sixteen-week reading course on The History of Atonement with Dr. Camp this past spring.Perhaps we can arrange a swap – my Yoder for yours sometime over the summer.BTW, who of the LOST cast would you put in the non-violent ranks?