What does it mean to celebrate
the Prince of Peace during a time of war?
I wish I had a better answer than
the one I am about to present.
by Charles Wiley,
associate for theology in the Office of Theology,
Worship and Education
I wish I had an answer that actually addressed the depth
of the issue. How do we worship the Prince of Peace
when we are locked in violent conflict on the other side
of the globe? How did we ever call Jesus “Lord” and “Prince of Peace” and then pursue our wars and our
violent responses to violence?
I wish I had thought about it more. I wish that it
had shaped my prayer life. I wish that my approach to
Sunday school teaching and my worship were changed
by the dichotomy.
It is not that I do not know what is going on. I read
the paper, listen to National Public Radio and AM news
radio and watch the news regularly. In my head I
know there is a war going on, but I do not live with
the experience.
I can vividly remember the daily reports of casualties
when I was growing up in the days of Vietnam. I had
relatives who died in the war in Vietnam. The war
dominated public debate and dinner conversations.
But I have had precious little connection to this war.
My nephew served in Iraq for a time, but he is the only
person close to me who has served there. I find myself
strangely removed from this war.
What does it mean to celebrate the Prince of Peace
during a time of war?
I can only suggest what I hope to begin to do myself:
- Pray daily for those in harm’s way. Pray in particular
for U.S. troops, Iraqi troops, Iraqi police, Iraqi public
officials and Iraqi citizens caught in the conflict.
- Pray for Christians and Muslims to find the courage
to make common cause for peace.
- Pray for the leaders of our country and leaders around
the world to make wise and compassionate decisions.
- Reflect on what personal sacrifices need to be
made to be faithful to Jesus Christ in a conflict
so easy to ignore.
I wish I had a better answer. |
