We are living in a time of great uncertainty, confusion and fear. We are also living in a time of great evil.
The invasion of the Ukraine on February 24 of this year by the Russian army has hurled the entire world into a state of war.
Our history has been so filled with wars that we to easily roll over and allow the guns to do their damage. Do not let anyone of the hook. How should we evaluate the war in the Ukraine in light of our Christian faith.
Over the centuries we have tried to justify war by the ‘just war theory’ first spelt out by St. Augustine in the early fourth century. Countries can always justify entering a war to protect their people from harm, to prevent the takeover of their country or economic structures or defend another county suffering from an unjust invasion. This theory has been used over the centuries to approve countless wars.
In today’s world humankind has become so powerful with long-range ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons and the possibility of germ warfare that it is very difficult to ever justify war. In the last thirty years we have been lulled into thinking that war was only a faint possibility in today’s world. Putin has proved such thinking wrong-headed.
The war/invasion going on in the Ukraine is totally wrong. It is very evil.
Count all the soldiers who have been killed or wounded (life-time of suffering). Count all the civilians who have been killed. Count all the building that have been bombed, the electrical power plants that have been bombed. Even though both sides in this conflict will not release any figures of the number of solider killed, the price paid for this war/invasion is staggering. In your imagination stand beside any family member that has lost a soldier or walk with the wounded ones. What is your pain and suffering telling you?
Our Christian faith is correct in staunchly affirming the command given by Pope Paul VI at the United Nations in 1965: “War, never again war!”
Canadians have been very generous in responding to the suffering families in this war. We have opened our country for their safety and prosperity. We have supplied weapons, winter clothing for soldiers and training.
What more can we do?
The mission of Jesus Christ was to build peace on this earth. His life and mission are the very opposite of the forces that make for war in the Ukraine. Jesus has come (present day reality) to energize us to build and make peace happen on this earth.
In all the bad news, be firmly rooted in the mission of peace. Be committed to making and building peace on this earth, during your own lifetime.
Our prayer for peace is not something that is merely a ‘wish list.’ We pray for peace that we may be instruments to help bring peace about in this time and place.
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