Even as I read about the violent actions in the Middle East, I am reminded that the choices of the adults in power today impact the tomorrows of the younger generation. I believe we cannot simultaneously prepare for peace and plan for war. We are either for one or the other, and where we place our vision determines actions.
Violence never leads to peace and prosperity, a recurring lesson from every war throughout history. Those who say the recent bombings send a message and will protect American lives are fooling themselves -- it will only embolden violence as the Iranian people turn Commander Soleimani into a modern-day martyr for their cause while turning their eyes toward our shores. We know this because the government of Bush did the same thing on 9/11. Countless Americans were killed in a war fought over oil and the mystery of weapons of mass destruction.
My prayer for 2020 is simple. Love, mercy and forgiveness, the foundation of Christian values. It’s not simple. It is demanding, loving those I would prefer to hate, yet it is the only hope for a weary world on the brink of annihilation.
President Eisenhower warned, “The Military Industrial Complex is the greatest threat to democracy.” If we want a world free of violence, it’s important to sit at the table of peace and build relationships with everyone. Listen with an open heart and mind and model the way.
I’m Lou Ness and this is simply my perspective.
