On September 30th, 1944 an almost 9 year old boy learned about the pain of war.  A telegram to his mother from the office of the Minister of Defence brought the dreaded news that his most-loved and revered big brother would not be coming home to take him biking, hiking and exploring in the countryside they both loved.  

War is always the direct result of human greed, envy and pride, and comes about when men and women fail to find just and unselfish solutions to thier disagreements.  Armed forces face one another in often sincere and seemingly unavoidable attempts to solve problems by strength and might.  Men, women, and children, both those carrying weapons and innocent, or not-so-innocent civilians suffer untold pain and anguish.

For those of you who have never gotten into Pederson's "The Message" translation of the Bible let me quote from Luke 6: 27 ff., "To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person." (You can find the whole of his translation at the Bible Gateway site.)

In no way do I wish to make light of what our the men and women of our armed forces have done in the past.  And I pray constantly for those who are today placed in harms way by the decisions of our governments.  But my over-riding payer must be that we will learn to act toward one another guided by love, rather than by ignorance, fear and hatred.  

May we all, in His time, come to truly love our enemies.