My church, St. Andrew’s, Oxford, is experimenting with a café church format; a couple of worship songs, and then a brief sermon which we we discuss in small groups. Around Remembrance Day, November 11, we discussed war, and Christians in the military.
In the Sermon on the Mount (which the pacifist Anabaptists, precursors of the Amish and Mennonites considered their Bible within the Bible), Jesus makes his thoughts absolutely clear.
Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5)
So the question is “Do these words, these teachings of Jesus have any relevance in the 21st century?”
Was Jesus smart? Was Jesus wise? Did he actually have an inside track on how to live well?
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Now Christ will call some men and women who follow him into the military so that they can be salt and light, sweetness and wisdom, in that environment.
I believe however, that without a specific call, a Christ-follower should not enter the military (except in a non-combatant role, such as a chaplain or medic).
It would be wiser to choose a profession, and to steer one’s children towards professions, which are more of an unequivocal blessing to people, more likely to build up all God’s children, without the risk of having to kill your fellow human beings because your Commander-in-chief decides that this is in your nation’s interests.
A career in the military can be morally and spiritually problematic for a Christian.
- You may be called to attack and bomb another nation in the course of complicated geo-politics. Your nation’s need for oil. An oilman as President. A false suspicion that the enemy nation harbours a famous terrorist or has weapons of mass destruction. The striving of your nation for pre-eminence and power might send you to fight thousands of miles away to contain another superpower. The allies of your nation might demand your nation’s cooperation in a war that’s none of your business. A democratically elected leader might declare war to distract people from the economy, or to strengthen his position for the next election.
Joining the military means you must kill and cause untold devastation to other families at the behest of the elected rulers of your country, who ordered you to for their own purposes, including holding onto power–and, besides, who knows if they are wise men or foolish.
2. Modern warfare is not clean; the use of drones causes distressing collateral damage amongst civilians.
The terrible things soldiers have seen and perhaps done leave them at far greater risk of post-traumatic stress disorder than the general population, besides risking depression, substance abuse, and suicide.
3. The long periods of separation are hard on family life, on spouses and children, and, just as hard on the soldier.
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The US spends a staggering 23.9 % of the Federal Budget on Defense. (The UK, in contrast, spends 6%).
Would diverting some of the spending on the military to health, education, the arts, and scientific research leave a nation defenceless against its enemies? Or would it, oddly, make it stronger?
And on a micro-level, would doing what Jesus tells us to do put us at risk?
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Interestingly, two of the most spectacular military defeats sustained by the strongest armies of their time, were not accomplished by might or power, but by exogenous events, “acts of God,” i.e. the Russian winter.
In June 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia with 650,000 soldiers to the 200,000 soldiers of the Russian army. The Russians passively retreated, abandoning Vilna, abandoning and burning Vitebsk and Smolensk, the peasants burning their crops, leaving no food for the men and horses of the Grande Armée. After a one day engagement at Borodino, they withdrew again, leaving the road open to Moscow. Which Napoleon found engulfed in flames, no food but lots of hard liquour, a city populated by the prisoners just released from the jails, while the rest of the city’s inhabitants had fled with the food.
Finally, the Grande Armée straggled back, starving, freezing, losing thousands of men and horses on icy nights, harassed by the Russians, having lost to the Russian winter, to exogenous events, to acts of God.
Ironically, this defeat was repeated by Hitler at Stalingrad in 1942, though he had studied Napoleon’s disastrous defeat. The Germans ultimately lost The Battle of Stalingrad, the largest and bloodiest battle in the history of warfare, largely because of a lack of food and fuel…that, and the Russian winter.
Or to go back 5000 thousand years, the tide of battles in the Old Testament often hinges on exogenous events…a boy handy with a slingshot killing a giant. Marching, shouting and shofars bringing down the city of Jericho. Tidal waves submerging the pursing Egyptian armies in Exodus. Torches and trumpets at night deceiving and routing the Midianite armies in the time of Gideon.
The way of might and power has its limitations. Who would have thought? The way of Spirit, the way of the creator–that works.
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As Dallas Willard writes in The Divine Conspiracy, Jesus was the most brilliant person who has ever lived. He gives us the most practical, realistic, up-to-date advice on living. His way works, which is why it has remained compelling through the centuries.
If you feel as helpless faced with the giant obstacles in your life as the Russian army faced by the Grande Armée three times its size…if you take your eyes off Jesus, and see people succeed through manipulation, through flattery, through deceit, through what Wordsworth calls greetings where no kindness is–stuff you instinctively feel you cannot engage in as a follower of Jesus–be of good cheer.
Though we cannot see God with our physical eyes, though we cannot see the weapons of the spirit–like prayer and goodness and obedience–they are no less powerful than the natural forces whose presence we cannot see until they strike: the Russian winter, or what insurance companies term “acts of God,” hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
Do the work. Trust in God. Work with integrity and gentleness. Listen to the Spirit for the strategy you need for the next step. Be aware of the way the Spirit is working in your life and in the world. Remember nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.
When you see those around you use the weapons of the world—flattery, manipulation, deceit–and win, do not be dismayed. Continue to rely on weapons of the spirit–prayer, integrity, and the wisdom and strategy that come from above. Wait for the Lord’s time, and for his blessing. The mighty walled city of Jericho brought down by marching seven times around it with trumpets. Who would have guessed?
Let faith rise.
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I agree with you Anita. A Christian should be CALLED into
the military if, and only if, they know without a doubt that that’s
where God wants them to serve Him. This should not be a
case of volunteering because the country needs volunteers. That
is a noble gesture, but for the Christian it should be a calling like
anything else. God calls some to be teachers, missionaries, pastors,
dentist, and yes, politicians that hold a high office in government.
I’ve heard Christians say in all earnestness that Christians should not
be involved in politics. This is ridiculous….we allow unbelievers to
come in and hold the highest offices because Christians in general
think it’s not for us, and look where it’s gotten us, at least here
in America. I am a regular voter and serve as an election commissioner
in my district. I’m not called to public office but I will serve to wake
up the Christians in my circle to the importance of voting. If one does
not vote they have no right to complain about the one that wins the
office. Imagine where this and other countries would be if we had
voted as Christians in every election and sought God about who to vote
for. He can use everything for our good, but we’ve brought a lot of
the troubles on ourselves, simply by refusing to vote because both
candidates weren’t perfect. Voting is not just a right, it’s a privilege.
And holding public office is honorable when it’s done by the leading
of Almighty God. God wants people serving Him in all walks of life
to be salt and light to the world and for some that might mean the
military.
I agree. Thank you!
Well said, Anita… very well said.
You combined the big, national and international picture and brought it right to the individual level of responsibility about using weapons of the Spirit. This is an article worth reading and digesting. Your cafe style church sounds like a place to digest these truths – thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Susan!
Anita,
Thanks for this. I think you are using a rather narrow nation state view of the military. In recent years the UK military have indeed been at the forefront of engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as serving in the Balkans. However it was not at war with either of these places as in a people struggling against a people. These actions were as much International ‘police’ events as war. Albeit there is argument about the reasons and methodology for the action against Saddam. There is a blurring of the boundaries of distinction between the traditional concept of war and the need for us to take responsibility to protect the interests of persecuted minorities. Do we seriously think it is acceptable to allow the eviction of the Yasidi for example if we have the means to prevent it. Just because someone is a dictator of a nation does that mean we cannot treat him as if he were a mafia boss? in other words some redefinition of the concept of state is required, and the notion that it’s internal affairs have nothing to do with us must be wrong.
Modern warfare is seldom mass army pitted against mass army. A drone strike on a car is not causing untold damage to thousands. The events in Paris and Mali were an act of war, how do we counter it? and is there any real distinction in your mind between a serving officer in the catering corps and a machine gun carrying police officer in a flak jacket at Heathrow airport?
I would suggest that the church needs to clarify its thinking here. The above writer is correct about acceptance of the Just war theory whilst esteeming the work of the minority of Quakers and Anabaptists who eschew baring arms.
That being said we should pray, pray pray, stay steady and in our churches, stick together, I belive we are about to witness disruption and unrest on a huge scale in Europe, we have no narrative to counter the unrest caused by Islam having all but abandonned the notion that the church IS the Body of Christ. I am greatly encouraged by the stance of many ex-Muslim women who are speaking out against the tyrannical aspects of its embedded world view. My hope is that they with support from secularists and Christians will see reformation, debate and change happening within Islam. Without it this ongoing low grade war of attrition will be inevitable.
Peter,
It is true that whenever I hear of atrocities, like against the Yazidi which you mention, I think, “Why doesn’t the West do something?” But Western interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan have left those nations hugely worse off than 10 years ago. No refugees were fleeing then. And the bombing of Afghanistan was because it was falsely suspected of harbouring Osama Ben-Laden. Western interventions in Islamic nations have always left those nations worse off–isn’t it? A case might perhaps be made for US intervention in Korea and Vietnam….but at a huge, perhaps unacceptable cost, to US soldiers.
Aerial bombings are problematic because they hit civilians. Drone attacks are cleaner if they get the right person, and if it was “right” to kill the person. Perhaps history will see the person killed in a drone attack as a freedom fighter, trying to get the Americans & Brits out of his country?
I should have added that I don’t see any problem with non-combatant roles in the military, chaplains, medics etc. “A machine gun carrying police officer in a flak jacket at Heathrow airport?” No, I guess they they are necessary. Don’t have problems with armed police, who preserve law and order. It’s military intervention I object to. The people of Iraq should have removed Sadaam, as other Arab nations got rid of their dictators in the Arab Spring, By hounding him to death we got ISIS, which is far worse.
Thanks for responding. A blog is just a place to work out thoughts, and mark where you have currently got to in your thinking 🙂
Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
I don’t really think that you are altogether correct in your assesment of either Iraq or Afghanistan. I have spoken to Iraqis that at least until the collapse of the north were grateful for the west’s intervention. The situation today in Afghanistan is from my reading far better than it was: in Education healthcare and the position of women. The fact that there is still an insurgency by the Taliban is not the West’s fault. If they were allowed free rein then A. would descend into chaos again, remember what happened in the football stadia. We are faced with many intractable problems where people resort to violence for political or financial gain, taking populations hostage with them. My argument is that like the recent UN resolution on Isis, we have no choice at times but to intervene with arms. To do this effectively takes an army. Man is clearly subject to bondage to violence which in it’s extreme form delights in maiming and terror. We who are not so bound sadly have to use force to contain the worst excesses of this. In an internet connected world this blurs the boundary between policing and warfare. We are not seeking the elimination of our oponents per se but only the restriction of their ability to do further damage. This has to of course be just with a purpose to create a sustainable peaceful resolution. To empty forces of all Christians leaving it to others of different belief would create for example an atheistic Islamic Hindu or pagan armed force. I would suggest that it is essential that Christians are well represented in all levels of our armed forces. So many great officers and men have been Christian and because of this have used only the minimum force necessary to carry out their missions-and that without hatred. Contrast this with the savagery we see elsewhere, and I think you might see a point.
I used to be a pacifist, refused to work on military projects like barracks and my sister was a founder of Greenham Common peace camp, but I came to see that I was inconsistent when after opposing the Falklands War I was glad Britain had reclaimed it from the clutches of a regime that routinely tortured and murdered its own citizens. I wish there were simple answers, but sin is sin and we have to cope with it at a societal and international level and in doing so we are also tarnished.
Be interested to see your comments/blogs in due course on responding to Islamic militancy. I am very heartened that so many ex Muslim/Muslim women are speaking up, and hopefully some kind of reformation can eventually happen. Till then sadly their men will fight.
Jesus never told a soldier to leave his job and commended one for his faith. John the Baptist, who was good at telling people to repent, merely told soldiers to soldier justly. Paul said that the State, even the ‘evil’ Roman Empire, had a responsibility to bear the sword for the punishment of evildoers.
Traditionally the Christian Church has held BOTH a tradition of pacifism AND a tradition of Just War. The two can be held in tension.
“Traditionally the Christian Church has held BOTH a tradition of pacifism AND a tradition of Just War. The two can be held in tension.”
Thank you, Drew. I do actually believe in just war. I think the war against Hitler was just, and eliminating ISIS is just. It’s just that most war is not just. Almost all the wars the British empire waged to keep the colonies were not just, and the nation lost so many lives for nothing. History will reveal whether Vietnam, Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan were just. I suspect they were not.
By joining the Army, you fight when you are sent to fight, you kill when you are told to kill, with little idea of whether it is a just war or not. (And as I said, most wars are not just wars). It is this that is problematic.
I should have added that it is not morally ambiguous to be a chaplain or a medic in the miltary. But, as you will have seen, many of the recent wars are morally ambiguous, and some actions, like drone attacks, are morally ambiguous, if not immoral.
Peace 🙂