Throughout the week, the news has been focused largely on the report of General Petraeus to Congress and the progress (or perhaps lack thereof) in Iraq. There has also been considerable discussion regarding how to measure "success" in Iraq. Are we winning the battle?
All of this talk has caused me to reflect considerably on the idea that war can somehow be "successful". Is there such a thing as a successful war? How do we know it when we see it? Who's success is it?
In all cases of war, thousands upon thousands of lives are lost. Human suffering is at its peak. Cruelty is running amuck. Can anything be considered a "success" under such circumstances? Surely, people may say, "Saddaam was murdering his own people." This is true- but wasn't that also a war? A war waged against his citizens.
I wonder- isn't any violence against another person participating in some kind of "war"? It seems that we are always at war with something- the war on drugs, the war on poverty, the war on "illegal immigration", the war on terror. Most of time, I feel like there is even a "war on peace."
At what point do we stop seeing things as an epic battle between good and evil? What is wrong in the world depends on where you sit. From where I sit, the wars that we are fighting seem to have one target: the poor. In the end, aren't the poor the ones who truly experience the brunt of whatever war is being fought? For example, in the war on "poverty", social programs are cut. Instead of a time limit on poverty, there is a time limit on welfare- as if limiting the social program will eliminate unfair wages, racism, and sexism.
God weeps at the wars we are waging because most often- the wars waged are waged in God's name. But the words "war" and "God" do not belong in the same sentence. I choose a God of hope, of possibility. After Virginia Tech's convocation in April, after the tragic day of shooting and mayhem, the campus pastor stated, "Let us cast our lot with hope in defiance of despair." This speaks to me. A theology of hope. Not a theology of despair... and war is a theology of despair.
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So then the question remains, how do you transform a theology of despair into a theology of hope?
You're right- that question still remains. My instinct is to say that transforming from despair to hope has something to do with empowerment- perhaps empowering others (and ourselves) to see beyond what is usually done, to see more towards what is possible. This is not meant to be a generic answer- but let me think on it more and see what I can come up with.
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