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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodist News |
July 2002 |
Letter spotlight:
The 'real battle' against terrorism,
a spiritual one
I agree that a response to Sept. 11, 2001 was a must. I wish our first response could have been turning the other cheek with tears and going to the terrorist's host nation with food and essential resources. I accept a more pragmatic approach. Terrorist acts must be prevented, and the potential for terrorism must be weakened if not destroyed.
I believe the real battle is a spiritual one. On the grandest scale it is the eternal battle for the minds and hearts of God's children. In the USA we rallied quickly to the war cry. Vengeance that says we must get an eye for an eye is common thinking. That is spiritual sickness and we (people of faith) need the courage to lovingly confront it. In other places people use their negative value judgment of western culture to justify twisting the ways of Islam to hateful purposes. Again people of faith must rise up.
I further believe that as the 21st Century evolves, the family of faiths will realize they work for a common good against the forces of evil. As that happens the world community will be richly blessed and the 21st Century Church will be an exciting place to be. Meantime, we deal with what is before us:
So long as the USA is the toughest and richest we will be the target for snipers who would bite our heel, break our arm or steal our purse.
So long as our economy feeds off the income from exported weapons we will too easily be willing to battlefield test our weapons at the expense of taxpayers' children and dollars.
So long as sin begets war and war begets sin people of conscience will cry over the city/world that is and pray /work for God's light to overcome the darkness.
Larry R. Schwartz
clergy member, ret.
South Indiana Conference
lrschwartz6469@aol.com