WAR’S WISDOM
They say there is no wisdom
They say it isn’t so,
They stir up rainy weather
But then it starts to snow.
Poor prognosticators
Pungent pundits too
They trust their own predictions
But don’t know what to do.
The politics of fear,
And self protection reign
As if killing all our foes
Was possible and sane.
We alienate our allies
We say we’ll go alone
We ignore prevailing wisdom
And enter a war zone.
And no one’s even asking
What would the Master say
We sing our patriotic songs
When things go wrong we pray.
It’s right to ask for sacrifice
Whene’er the cause is just
Whenever truth is being served
When God’s the one we trust.
Vengeance is no solution.
Observe the Holy Land
Sick cycles of destruction
Bad blood flows in the sand.
There surely is a wisdom
Its spoken in God’s Word
It speaks of holy sacrifice
Not one that is absurd.
It calls for love of enemy
And giving lives for friends
It calls for taking up the cross
Through suffering, violence ends.
Lamech called for vengeance
Seventy-seven fold,
Jesus said forgive that much
Before the night grows cold.
“Vengeance is surely mine”
Thus speaks a sovereign Lord,
And when we try to play God
We violate his Word.
Someday the lion will lie down
Next to the harmless lamb.
Someday the swords will be retooled
For plowing up the land.
Someday we’ll see that ‘just wars’
Are never just enough
Someday we’ll realize the kingdom’s for
The meek, not for the tough.
Until that day we all must pray
For forgiveness– what have we done?
For those who live by the sword
Lose, even when they’ve won.
Somewhere there is an endgame
Without the sound of taps
A plan to play a different role
Blessed peacemakers perhaps.
BW3
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