Incline Our Hearts
Just War
In times of war, one of the most important things we can do as Christians is pray. Our Prayer Book has many helpful prayers in these difficult times, especially on pages 815 and following. I find them to be both comforting and clarifying. In addition to prayers for peace, I have been praying especially for the innocent victims of war, and for the men and women in our military, who are in harm’s way.
Even as we focus on our prayers, another thing to consider in these challenging days is doing a little reading on the Just War tradition.
Christians, throughout our history, have by no means been of one mind on the ethics of war. There is a strong pacifist tradition that condemns war as utterly incompatible with Christ’s teachings and example, urging Christians not to participate in it. Other Christians have sought to make ethical distinctions between just and unjust war. There is not time in a space this short to describe Just War theory in any depth. But I would point you to an excellent, comprehensive piece on this on the Episcopal Church’s website. It comes from our Church’s Armed Forces and Federal Ministries, which includes our many brave and faithful military chaplains. Check it out HERE.
There you will find information about the ancient roots of the Just War tradition, especially in Saint Augustine and later in Thomas Aquinas. Their concepts, developed further over time, give insight into how we might consider a war just or unjust from a Christian perspective, instead of falling back on our partisan impulses. For example, Just War theory considers questions like: Does the war have a just cause (like self-defense or protecting innocent lives)? Does it have a right intention (establishing peace, not at a whim, or out of greed or vengeance)? Is war a last resort (have other means like diplomacy and economic sanctions been exhausted)? Are civilians being protected as much as possible in the carrying out of the war? Is unnecessary destruction being avoided?
If the Episcopal Church’s piece is too long and complicated, there are a host of shorter online resources available. Now is a good time to have at least a passing knowledge of what Christian denominations, and the Episcopal Church in particular, teach about violence and war.
In our Gospel reading for Sunday, the Risen Christ says to his disciples, “Peace be with you.” As Christians, we experience the peace that Jesus gives, a peace that is not the absence of conflict but reconciliation that passes all understanding. As the baptized, we are called to be peacemakers in our families, communities, nation, and world. Part of peacemaking is committing to a deeper understanding of how the way of Jesus informs what we pray and work for in the complex world around us. In this Eastertide, may our Risen Lord bring us his peace, and may we share his peace with others.
Bishop Poulson
