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March 2003
Restraining Evil
(This sermon was preached on Sunday, February 23, 2003)
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March 2003
Restraining Evil
(This sermon was preached on Sunday, February 23, 2003)
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who has authority? Then do good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:1-4)
Several times in recent days, people who want to talk about the conflict with Iraq have approached me. Most are struggling to know what is right. Some have strong opinions and they want to know if I agree with them. Sometimes they leave disappointed. Yet, I hope even when there is disagreement, there is still a respect for the right of the other to hold different convictions.
Discussions of war and moral responses are extremely tough and grave issues. The issues are intellectual and emotional, and people reach different conclusions. However, one thing is clear: To be Christian is to engage in a way of life that subjects every aspect of life under the scrutiny of the scriptures. Living for God requires placing our intellect, our soul and our body under his authority.
So, I want to talk about the moral issues related to a possible war with Iraq. It appears the conflict is coming to a violent conclusion and I want to address this as your pastor.
When Christians seek guidance on matters of faith and morals we turn to our primary source the Bible. Our study of scripture has taught us that God is a God of peace and love. We joyfully proclaim what we believe: God became flesh and dwelt among us. This was done for our salvation; yet, not just for us but for the whole world. It is the very desire of God that none be lost but that all come to know life.
We would agree, would we not, that Jesus came into our world proclaiming a message of reconciliation. Furthermore, the primary thrust of his life was nonviolent. He taught his disciples and, through them, taught us to pursue peace.
"Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God," he said.When slapped cruelly, he taught, "Turn the other cheek."
When questioned about the limits of forgiveness, he taught us to forgive without keeping count. Just keep on forgiving.
Surely, his actions before his crucifixion demonstrate how he wants us to live; he went to the cross without lifting a hand or uttering one angry word.
Furthermore, through Jesus, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to form the love of Christ in us so that we might be God's messengers of love and peace. To live in this world as followers of the Christ is not easy. But we have a duty to obey our Lord and the way of the Lord is the way that leads to love and peace.
In struggling to be obedient to Christ, some have chosen to be pacifists. A classic pacifist is one who opposes and will not participate in any act of violence. Theirs is a difficult way to be in this world but how desperately we need their witness. They remind us that God has a higher purpose for our world than war and violence.
While we as a United Methodist denomination are not pacifists, we acknowledge the value of their witness. In the Social Principles in our Book of Discipline we say we "honor the witness of pacifists" and "support and extend the ministry of the Church to those persons who conscientiously oppose all war, or any particular war, and therefore refuse to serve in the armed forces or cooperate with the system of military conscription." Over the past 2000 years, many Christians have been pacifists but the vast majority of Christians have not held that view.
In fact, it might surprise you to know that Jesus was not a pacifist…at least not in the classic sense. Ask the moneychangers in the temple if Jesus was a pacifist and they would have surely responded: "Are you kidding! He physically chased us out of the temple, turned over our tables and wouldn't let anyone bring anything into the temple." (Mark 11: 15-19). Jesus allowed his disciples to carry swords. Simon the Zealot, one of the disciples, was part of a group dedicated to the violent overthrow of Rome. It is strongly suspected that he carried a sword under his tunic.
Even more to the point, just before going into the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told his disciples that now was the time to sell, if they must, their mantle and buy a sword. Simon Peter looked around in the group of disciples and found two swords and he showed them to Jesus. Upon seeing the swords Jesus remarked, "That's more than enough." (Luke 22: 36-38). The implication of this passage seems to be that, with my death, now is the time you will be forced to live in the world…a world of violence. Be prepared, but two swords are more than enough because you won't be using them.
While Jesus was not a pacifist, his life and teaching was against war and violence. Our United Method-ist Book of Discipline upholds this primary view and simply declares, "war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ."
Yet, the New Testament also teaches that national leaders have a responsibility to uphold the rule of law and administer justice. Paul, in the text for today, tells us that government exists as authority, instituted by God, to restrain evil and preserve civil order. Without that law, chaos and tyranny would rule our world. In our own nation, the rule of law protects the rights of the minority from the tyranny of the majority and it protects the majority from the lawless use of force by a minority to overthrow our government.
In our form of government, the elected leader of our nation takes a solemn oath before God: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." Our President has an obligation before God to defend the rule of law and in the case of our particular nation, to uphold its Constitution. The President is not free to either disregard the Constitution or establish another form of rule.
The president is under the law as laid out in the Constitution; but the concept of law is a gift from God to prevent chaos and disorder. The President and all other leaders serve the purposes of God when they administer the law in fairness and justice. Paul is quite clear that the rule of law and the practice of justice are enforceable by means of force when necessary. Indeed, it is the threat of force that keeps evil restrained.
Can you imagine what would happen in South Korea if those 37,000 American troops were not stationed there? Do you honestly believe the North Koreans would stay in their own established boundary? Do you believe that either the Kurds in Iraq or the Kuwaitis on Iraq's border would be free today had the world not acted in 1991? Or even more broadly, what would that region of the world look like if the leaders of the world had turned a blind eye? I am grateful the United States led the fight against this tyrant.
Paul tells us: The leaders of the world have a responsibility to uphold the rule of law and keep evil restrained. They are to exercise that authority as a precious gift and may, in the course of meeting their obligation, use force.
In the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church, we confess that we "deplore war," but "we acknowledge that most Christians regretfully realize that, when peaceful alternatives have failed, the force of arms may be preferable to unchecked aggression, tyranny and genocide."
For many years, civilized nations have sought to bring order to the moral chaos of conflict. The tradition of "just war" developed to provide leaders with moral guidance to an immoral event.
Before citing the guidelines, we must acknowledge a first and fundamental Christian principle. The foundation of all Christian moral behavior is a presumption against violence. To harm another by action or inaction is morally abhorrent. As Christians, taught by our Lord, we are first and foremost peacemakers. Let us never lose sight of that fundamental truth. Yet, when by reason of human choices, conflict cannot be resolved and war is contemplated these guidelines are helpful.
To be declared "just" for entering war some combination of these apply:
Just cause. (usually self-defense or defense of an aggrieved third party);Right Intention. (matching the actual motives for going to war with the just cause);
Right Authority. (war is declared by a publicly recognized authority who has both the power to mobilize armed forces and the ability to evaluate whether other just war criteria are met);
Reasonable Hope of Success. (avoiding wars that cannot be won and will only result in loss of additional human lives);
Last Resort. (trying every form of resolution short of direct violence first);Announcement of Intention. (stating reasons for going to war to the other side); and,
Proportionality. (balancing probable losses and costs for all parties against probable benefits).
(Theology Today, January 2003, p531.)
These guidelines, regardless of how helpful, are ultimately a concession to human sinfulness. They are guidelines to assist us in making moral judgments when we have failed to secure a nonviolent, peaceable outcome.
How do these principles apply to the struggle with Iraq? Saddam Hussein, when faced with sure defeat, agreed in 1991 to immediately disarm and destroy all chemical and biological weapons. There is strong evidence he has failed to do so. Clearly, he has provided no evidence that he destroyed anything.
In fact, to conceal his activities,he expelled the weapons inspectors who were authorized by the United Nations and agreed to by him, to oversee his compliance with the terms of the cease-fire. He has had 12 years to do what he said he would do.
He has had several months now, with armies gathering on his border, to show proof of compliance. Yet, he has not.
If the response of the international community was justified to stop his aggression against Kuwait, then to enforce the existing agreement is also justified. If Iraq fails to immediately comply with all United Nations resolutions, the "coalition of the willing" is, I believe, justified in the use of force to disarm Iraq.
Furthermore, I am persuaded that failure to act weakens the rule of law and dramatically increases the likelihood of increased aggression not only from Iraq but also other terrorist organizations.
I know there are those who disagree with these conclusions. I deeply respect the views of those who look for other ways to bring about peace. I am at one with all who long for peace and wish to avoid violence. If violent hostilities do occur, I can only pray the war will be brief, minimal in the loss of life and bring about a more lasting peace.
However, war is not the way God intends. The intent of God for humanity as set forth in the Bible is a kingdom of Peace ruled by the love of God. God intends a world where justice is universally lived out, a place where power is used to end poverty and bind people together in a community of love.
One of the great tragedies of our time is the wasted resources of time, energy and materials in war making. Every dollar spent in defending against evil is a dollar that deprives the poor and the needy of help and comfort. Every moment in time spent negotiating a way around the exaggerated egos of mentally dwarfed people is time not spent building a worldwide caring community. Every life prematurely ended by bullet or bomb is the loss of a special gift God intended to give to the world.
We need to be about our Father's business. We need to be creating the world God intends for us. Building that world requires the same commitment of energy, time and material resources as does that of defense. I pray we will become more eager to declare the will of God than we are to declare war.
Yet, if war is required to enforce international law and restrain evil, I hope you will join with me in prayerfully supporting those who are placed in harm's way. I do not mean pray for those on "our side" but to earnestly pray for all people. Additionally, I encourage us to find ways to provide humanitarian aid to those displaced, injured or orphaned by war
Furthermore, I hope you will join me in doubling our efforts in bringing people to Christ. Only when the Prince of Peace rules in the lives of the people of our world will we know true peace and freedom. Will you offer Christ to our world?
David Reed