Please God, not another war

A concerning weekend in the world.

Okay, so before I get into this Memo, I have to share one of the greatest exchanges I’ve seen online for a long time (it apparently originated back in 2018). Someone posted this majestic picture, attempting to make an appeal for game hunters to put down their weapons and appreciate the beauty of the animal world.

Then some guy named Ted Altizer chimed in just trying to be helpful:

Too funny. Okay, on with the serious stuff. At the end of last week, I had just finished a lecture in one of my U.S. History classes about the onset of World War I in Europe. I’d talked about the dominos that fell due to pre-war alliances that had been established.

• A Serbian nationalist assassinated the heir to Austria’s throne

• Austria attacks Serbia

• Russia is allied to Serbia, so they attack Austria

• Germany is allied to Austria, so they attack Russia

• France is allied to Russia, so Germany attacks them too

• On the way to France, Germany marches into Belgium

• Britain is allied to Belgium, so they attack Germany

Dominos. It’s the only way to explain it, really. After I’d finished, a girl raised her hand and asked a fairly obvious question: “So why did we get involved?” We haven’t quite gotten there in class yet (that’s this week), so I put off explaining about the German U-boats sinking passenger and merchant ships, killing Americans. Between that and the Zimmerman note that proposed a German-Mexican alliance, it will hopefully become fairly obvious to her why we were being pulled in.

But since I didn’t answer the question completely, she decided to opine a little bit. “Why is America always getting involved in wars and conflicts all over the world?” she asked. I happen to know that hers is a godly family, and her brother is in the military. Her question could have been asked out of exasperation or fear over the thought that she might lose him to a conflict somewhere in the world, I don’t know.

I tried my best to explain that there are usually a couple factors at play: either U.S. interests are threatened (whether it’s oil, trade, or the well-being of an ally), or it’s a humanitarian effort – suffering or oppressed people that the U.S. feels morally obligated to help. She seemed torn by that dilemma, as I think most of us are – knowing when is a legitimate and appropriate time to take up arms.

I bring all this up because the news from the other side of the world is, once again, concerning. I don’t follow geo-politics as closely as I used to, but more than a few global developments caught my eye this weekend.

First, our allies in Taiwan detected 39 Chinese warplanes heading towards their island nation, causing them to scramble their own fighters and activate their missile defense system. Meanwhile, Russia – another rising global threat – appears increasingly intent on military action in their former province, Ukraine.

Jennifer Griffin @JenGriffinFNC

From State Dept call: “Given that the President has said military action by Russia could come at any time. The US government will not be in a position to evacuate US citizens. So US citizens, currently present in Ukraine should plan accordingly.” Arrange commercial flights.

The possibility of conflict in both these parts of the world is very real. Russia feels entitled to Ukraine. China feels entitled to Taiwan. Both superpowers easily possess the might to crush their tiny targets and conquer the territory. Most would say the only reason that has yet to happen is because of the healthy fear of a United States reprisal. We have been the deterrent keeping Ukraine and Taiwan’s oppressors at bay. That time may be running out.

There is, of course, a political angle to all of this. I remember a significant part of the 2008 Obama platform was “bringing an end to the endless foreign wars.” That certainly did not occur during the eight years of former President Obama. Oddly enough, despite the panic that Obama-era experts generated during the 2016 election about the recklessness and fecklessness of a potential President Trump being Commander-in-Chief, the U.S. military did not expand its global operations or introduce any new conflicts during his term.

But with Trump gone, as things continue to devolve in Taiwan and Ukraine, it appears that may soon change. There’s no question there will be a political price to all of it, particularly for President Biden:

I’m not interested in protecting President Biden from the legitimate criticism that should come his way for bungling our foreign diplomacy with both these rising global menaces in Russia and China. What is unfolding in both cases is due to the diplomatic approach of the current administration, not the previous one. Biden will own this mess in whatever form it manifests.

That said, I am compelled to pray for wisdom and insight, patience and resolve for him in what is shaping up to be trying days ahead. Regardless of what anyone thinks of his mental preparedness for this job, he has it, and his decisions will affect a great number of people, including the brother of my student…and including a number of people and families we all know.

That isn’t a reality that any of us should take lightly or hope unfolds in such a way that our political tribe benefits. And we shouldn’t forget that regardless of what the U.S. does or doesn’t do, there are so many of our Christian brothers and sisters in Ukraine and Taiwan. Many who belong to the family of God whose earthly lives and livelihoods hang in the balance. We should be in prayer for them as well.

Sometimes I feel an odd sense of guilt about how blessed I am to live in a place like the United States, where I’ve never known the fear of Russia preparing an invasion of my home country, or the worry of China preparing to overrun my government and enslave me. But I don’t think God expects us to feel guilty for His blessings. I think He wants us to use those blessings for His glory.

In this case that means being mindful of those who suffer, and petitioning the throne of the one true King for His mercy and protection of His adopted children, here and abroad. I know your day is busy – mine is too. But if you can spare a moment, remember them and pray with me the words of the Psalmist:

Psalm 46

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.

Amen.

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ICYMI…

I preached this weekend on Satan. Who he is, what he’s capable of, what his tactics are, and how we will regard him if we truly want to “Think Like Jesus.” You can see it here if you’re into it (into learning what Scripture teaches, that is, not into the devil):

I also wrote a couple articles that you might find interesting, or you might actually hate, I can’t be sure. But here they are anyway:

• Why “bodily autonomy” works against vaccine mandates but not abortion

• Nevertheless, black conservatives and non-progressive women persist