“Why Do The Nations Rage?”

 

The world is raging. Russia is at war with Ukraine, Iran is fighting Israel through Hamas and The US with drones. China has promised the reunification of Taiwan which most likely means war since Taiwan will not likely do so willingly. All of this turmoil makes me think of the Psalm, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” (Psalm 2:1). My heart breaks when I think of how we all in our respective nations have fathers, mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters who become endangered as one nation rages against another over economic, cultural, political, religious, and other reasons. I find myself weeping at the frailty of man said so well by Rich Mullins:

“We are frail, we are fearfully and wonderfully made 

Forged in the fires of human passion 

Choking on the fumes of selfish rage 

And with these our hells and our heavens 

So few inches apart 

We must be awfully small 

And not as strong as we think we are.” (We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are, Rich Mullins)

That line “forged in fires of human passion, choking on the fumes of selfish rage,” haunts me. How love brings people together to forge a life and then we grow up and learn to rage against one another. That this world with its pressures, poverty, pain, powers, and predicaments can turn us against each other when we were all forged in love by The God who is Love (1 John 4:7-21). My heart grieves as nations are being forced by so many factors that are complex, and sometimes simple to be enemies. I miss when the Naval Ships were idle, and the sound of explosions was in movies. We are racing towards World War III, and I grieve, for I love all cultures and peoples, and conflicts are bound to build bitter blocks on once open bridges between us all. I beat my chest in prayer as we are tempted to judge one another, when Jesus tells us, “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2). News stations and media stoke the rage, to tell us to hate this group or that group, and yet Christ said to love our enemies even!, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28). For when you love an enemy they cease to be an enemy, you see they are frail  and human like yourself, and that motivations make us at odds, as we are swept up in causes. Jesus Himself forgave the people who murdered Him on the cross, “And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). Indeed, “we know not what we do,” as we are coaxed to rage against one another, and when the dust settles and the death toll is counted we always ask, “what was this for?” The madness of Mars, of War, grabs hold of desperate men, and their plight is understandable and I do not mean to belittle the struggles that force people into drastic decisions, but the end is always the same, full graveyards, smoking ruins in place of towns and cities, and traumatized peoples.  

I know there are just causes and just wars, I do not intend to claim pacifism is the only path. I however find myself like Jeremiah as I weep watching it all. As The Nations Rage, I pray that everyone remember, “we are not as strong as we think we are.” (Rich Mullins).