What Would Jesus Say?

I just got one of those chain emails – not the kind that promises that good things will happen to you if you forward to a zillion of your friends and family and terrible things will befall you if the email hits your trash bin. No, this one was an inspirational, pump up the troops to spur them to action. Unfortunately, I had to disagree with the motivation here. The communication involved dealt with the war on terrorism – specifically the battle against Islamic forces.

I may make some enemies here, but I feel compelled to speak out. I won’t include the entire email here but thought it enlightening to include a blurb that struck a nerve with me.

Do you think I care about four U. S. Marines pissing on some dead Taliban insurgents?

And I'm supposed to care that a few Taliban were
claiming to be tortured by a justice system of a
nation they are fighting against in a brutal Insurgency.
If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete
button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't
complain when more atrocities committed by radical
Muslims happen here in our great Country!

If you think I’m not upset with the cruelties of Islam, you’re sadly mistaken. The bloody intolerance for religious deviation from the confines of Mohammed and the Koran and the honor killings make my own blood boil. However, my mother taught me long ago that two wrongs don’t make a right. The very Jesus, whom the author of this email alluded to, preached that we should do unto others as we would want done to ourselves. He also said to love our enemies. Another section in the Bible points out that we don’t battle against flesh and blood but against principalities. Even the heathen love their own. Those who accept Christ as the son of God have a higher standard. Having disrespect for the sanctity of life almost drags us down to the level of those who maim and kill. Not being upset that our military was involved in urinating on the bodies of slain terrorists is a sign of hatred, something we Christians should avoid with a passion. When Osama Bin Laden was executed, the celebration slogans that flew through cyberspace via the fingertips of Christians made me mourn. How can the champions of life rejoice in death?

I often ponder what would have been the result if America had stood up as a nation after 9-11 and offered a statement of forgiveness toward those who had hurt us. Instead we launched an expensive and never-ending battle against an elusive enemy. Is it possible that such forgiveness could, instead of convincing the terrorists that we are weak and fearful, have burrowed under their hearts to help them see that violence and killing is not the answer to life’s problems? And could that perhaps have extended a bridge into the Arabic world instead of a wall?

Some people believe that Jesus is the poster child for the NRA (National Rifle Association). In reality, I think that makes Him shudder. Protective violence is a fact of life and a necessary evil. It is definitely not something to gloat about. I did hit the delete button on that email. Call me crazy but I do believe that there is an honorable way to fight. From the research that I’ve recently done regarding some of our troubled cities in the world, the best method of fighting for Christians appears to be through prayer, not bullets. Maybe we’d see more success in bringing the message of a loving Savior to the Muslims on our knees instead of up on our military soapboxes.