David W. Swanson

Pastor and Author

lament: wartime | rejoice: springtime

Two significant dates, yesterday and today, remind me of the type of world we live in.

Yesterday was the 5-year anniversary of the war in Iraq. During the past five years 3,392 US soldiers have died in Iraq. Estimates of Iraqi civilian causalities are much more difficult to come by. The accepted rates of “violent deaths” due to the war are between 600,000 and 1,000,000. (Wikipedia has a good summary of these statistics with links to the different studies and surveys.) The war has cost America over $400 billion thus far. That’s $200 million per day. Put another way, the war has cost DuPage County almost $3 billion.

Can one who follows Jesus consider these deaths and incredible expenditures and not lament? Whether or not one believes the war to be justifiable, it seems we must still grieve the loss of so many lives. Should we not pray along with the Psalmist for those who cannot protect themselves? Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 82)

Today is the first day of spring. This morning I actually heard a bird chirping outside our window. Pretty soon the daffodils in our front yard will make their appearance. Yeah, I know it’s supposed to snow today and tomorrow… but that doesn’t change the fact that winter is officially over.

It’s no accident Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at this time of year. Symbols of new life are all around. We smell the dirt again, dream about putting in the tomato plants, imagine picnics and parks and concerts. The resurrection feels extra-real during the spring.

These two days, the anniversary of the war and the first day of spring, place our lives in stark relief. We live at a time when war, death, violence and injustice are a reality. We also live in a world that is continually being re-created, that is experiencing resurrection. As Christians we are those who hold this tension within ourselves. We long for the day when all will be made right, when God’s perfect justice will be done. But at this moment we look for signs of hope. We live as though the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the defining moment not just of our lives, but of the creation itself.

In other words we, of all people, know what it is to lament and to rejoice.

David Swanson

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9 responses to “lament: wartime | rejoice: springtime”

  1. Brian Avatar
    Brian

    The tragic irony in this whole thing is that the “official” estimates of deaths under Saddam are in the same zone – 500,000 to 1,000,000 depending on the source. That was a period of 20 or so years vs. the 5 years we have been at war in Iraq. That is lamentable.

    You mention the snow. I think we lament the spring snow more than we do the deaths of 1-2 million Iraqis over the last quarter century. At least we complain about it a lot more. Because it’s in our face. Literally. We have to deal with it in the morning before we go to work or school. Because we’re tired of being cold. And try as we might we can’t turn off the spigot in the sky or redirect the jet stream.

    We can however turn off the TV, radio, or Internet. Or simply tune out the war in Iraq. Unless we know someone personally involved. A soldier perhaps, or maybe even an Iraqi civilian we met at school or work.

    And I worry for most of us we’re just to busy, too focused on ourselves to really take the time to lament. Or to rejoice for that matter. We may know what it is to lament and rejoice – but do we really ever take the time?

    Though provoking post David. Keep spurring us to think critically about our world. (And hopefully beyond thinking to action).

    Reply
  2. Larry Eisner Avatar
    Larry Eisner

    Brian, I know I am too blissfully unaware of what goes on day by day in the Mid-East…

    But I have to ask, is it wrong for me to simply trust that God’s got it in his hands? And I don’t ask that lightly… I know that overall, I’m a pretty insensitive person. On a macro level like the war, to a micro one like even daily relationships. I’m not emotionally attached to much anymore. But my perspective on this (and I truly don’t believe I’m justifying, although I suppose I could have deluded myself so that I may be without knowing it… although again, I don’t believe I have) is that the world is meant to be in disorder. Well, perhaps not meant for it. But it’s the current course we’re headed towards. It’s not changeable, except through the sea change in Christ’s return.

    I guess that, (and again, I don’t mean to be callous about it, but I suppose I am,) the world will fall away. It’s going to get worse. And worse. And worse. And I know that I cannot change it. I can change how I act in my life to those around me, and I can support those, like yourself, who are reaching out to others farther away, but in the most realistic sense, I can only do what I can do, and let God do what he does for the ones I cannot touch.

    So while it is indeed sad how many lives have been lost in the conflict, and how senseless it truly all is… What can I do? Other than my civic duty of electing a President and congress who will do their best to work in a way befitting the Christian mindset, and living my own life in service to others, does my mourning what I cannot do accomplish anything?

    Is that simply horrific that I think this way? I don’t know.

    Somehow, for some reason, and I truly cannot explain it further, I’m somehow at peace about it. I know I’m not personally touched by it, however.

    I mean, I do find it sad, surely. But that’s when I think of it.

    And I don’t think of it often.

    The root of all of this is still the same. People need to know Christ’s love and plan for their salvation. If everyone knew and embraced this, then there would be no further conflict, as we’d truly be in heaven. However, this is not the case as we live here on broken, sinful earth.

    I’m not okay with it, but it is simply the reality of the situation we live in.

    Other than to take our own tasks into consideration, what more can be done, really?

    It’s almost like the Lord of the Rings (bad example, I know…) but those on the quest in the fellowship were not tasked with fixing all the conflicts… only to focus on their main objective which was to aid Frodo in destroying the ring (I really feel nerdish for bringing that example up, but it makes my position clearer, I feel). If they got caught up in all the destruction and chaos around them, they’d never reach their goal. Even if they were doing ultimate good…

    I feel like as Christians, lament is necessary at times. And those times are naturally when things impact you. But to say one is not fulfilling his Christian duty by being mournful about these things more often, is (in my very very humble, and un-religiously-educated opinion) a mis-step.

    Because there is no end to suffering on this earth. There is always another conflict; another atrocity; another pain which should not be happening.

    To be mournful without action is pointless. And to be actionable on every front is impossible. (Except for God, of course.) So what is our real responsibility here?

    I am not claiming that I’m right on all of this, but I do think that we often say things (with all sincerity) like “we should care more” or “we should do more”, but that’s never really quantified.

    How much should I care? How much is enough mourning? How much is enough lamentation for the war?

    Without these questions being answered, I feel that we can go too far, and be all emotion without any action. (Yet I realize that action without emotion is hollow and pointless as well, oftentimes…)

    So I dunno. Perhaps I’ve overthought and overanalyzed the whole thing… But I always think things like this when I’m confronted with the war especially, but really with anything like this. Any input would be greatly appreciated by either Brian, David, or anyone else… 🙂

    Reply
  3. Brian Avatar
    Brian

    Hi Larry – thanks for your comment on my comment. There’s a lot in what you said, and I’ve only got a few moments to reply right now – so I know I won’t be able to reply to everything.

    First let me summarize what I read in your words (in no particular order):
    a) the world is destined towards chaos and most likely increasing conflict
    b) as an individuals there is very little that we can do about conflicts in places like Iraq
    c) mourning far off things that have little or no impact on us personally without in further actionable stepshas little or no point
    d) one area of action that is available to us is to elect officials who can make a difference

    Those may or may not be your major points – but that’s what I’m going to build off from here.

    a) Jesus does warn about wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24, Mark 13), environmental disasters, famines, etc., but cautions us not to be frightened or alarmed by them as they are a signal that the end is near. It seems likely that the original disciples saw these things fulfilled in their lifetimes. And I think each successive generation of Christians have seen them as well. It’s interesting to note that Jesus never says things are going to get worse and worse and worse until I come back. He simply recognizes the broken nature of this world that results in things like war, and famine and earthquakes. It’s true that Jesus doesn’t command us to mourn any losses in war or even to try to stop them. His next thought in both the Matthew and Mark passages is about the gospel of the Kingdom being preached in all nations (even before governors and kings and with warnings that Christians can expect to be persecuted). Ok – what do I want to say here? a) I agree that this is a broken world filled with conflict. Will ever stop war? No. But when Jesus says to love your neighbors and love your enemies and that the peacemakers will be blessed it seems he is calling the Christian to a different kind of action against the backdrop of the wickedness of the world. It’s like the parable of the talents. The guy with the one basically said, “Look I knew there wasn’t much I could really do with this and I knew you’d be really mad if I lost it so even though I didn’t make it grow at least I can give you back what you gave me.” I wonder if saying that war is inevitable and there isn’t much we can do about it is kind of like that.

    That was kind of a response to both (a) and (b).

    I don’t have time now to reply to the rest – but to say that I think you are right that our responsibility starts with those people and circumstances that are directly in our sphere of influence and trust God to be handling the rest. However, I wonder if we sell ourselves short as to how far our sphere of influence extends. And I wonder if God is in the business of nudging us to consider broader circles of impact throughout our pilgrimage with him.

    I have some specific thoughts on on the ideas of caring more/doing more and trying to quantify what actions we could/should actually take and will share them here later. Maybe some other folks have some thoughts in the meantime.

    Reply
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  5. Larry Eisner Avatar
    Larry Eisner

    I’m here with baited breath. Or something. Is that the right term? 🙂 But yeah, I can’t wait to hear what you write. And that sounds sarcastic, but I’m being entirely and totally serious about this. I want to hear actionable steps here, and seeing what you think about it sounds very very interesting. Thanks for replying to my reply to your reply. 🙂

    Reply
  6. BC Avatar
    BC

    OK – sorry for the delay. First I want to thank David for his thought-provoking post. Second I want to thank Larry for his transparency and willingness to probe these significant issues deeply. It’s making me think about my views and how I communicate them, which is a very good thing.

    Moving forward towards more concrete action (for me anyways – I really would like to hear what others think about this) involves the implications of parable of the good Samaritan in today’s global context.

    If you remember, this parable was a response to a question on the 2nd commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It’s as if Jesus is saying, “Look, the true test of whether you love your neighbor or not is this: do you have the time of day to help a stranger (and possibly enemy) who is dying on the side of the road?” It’s like one of those classical hypothetical questions, “What would you do if . . . ” and you know what the right answer is but you don’t know you’d do the right thing until you actually find yourself in the situation. Jesus is saying that when we actually find ourselves in the situation of helping the dying man on the side of the road and we take action then we love our neighbor like ourselves (and ultimately reflect our love of God).

    In Jesus’ day that probably meant we actually had to be walking along the Jericho road in order to be confronted with this kind of situation. Today, I think that the Jericho road runs right through our living room in the form of television and the Internet. Today the global village is no smaller in actual size, but is so much better connected that it seems smaller. We know more about our world on a day-to-day basis than the last generation did. We can see the man dying on the road at any given moment of the day if we choose not to avert our gaze like the first two passers-by in the parable of the good Samaritan. When we hear that the same amount of people have died in the past 5 years of war in Iraq as died under 20 years of Saddam’s rule can we just keep walking by because we have our own lives to live? Do we just uncritically and unquestioningly trust that our elected leaders are making godly and just decisions vis-à-vis the war? Maybe they are, but how do we know? (that’s an entirely different discussion, I know)

    Recognizing that we all can’t be 100% concerned and involved in every dilemma that faces our world today, I would propose the following steps for responding to the dilemmas and crises of the day:

    1. Ask yourself – is there a particular group of people or situation that God may be laying on your heart for action. They/it may be across the hall, down the road, or across the globe.
    2. If there isn’t, ask God if there are certain people and experiences that you should be exposing yourself to that you are not already. This could mean actually just taking the plunge to get involved with an issue that you aren’t already. God will redirect if you are heading in the wrong direction.
    3. When there is a group of people or a situation that you feel a nudge towards helping (be it Darfur, Iraq, the homeless, teenage moms, etc) I would suggest the following steps:

    a. Educate yourself on the issues involved. Not just through reading, but by going and seeing the situation firsthand and befriending those involved if possible. Easier said than done for some situations – but, hey, I lived in Gaza City for two summers and I am just an average guy from a podunk town in cow country.
    b. Pray regularly for the people/issues, asking for direction from God on how to be involved further. (w/o specific guidance the following seem to be good general ways to be involved no matter what)
    c. Donate money or material goods towards relief (easier for Americans today than any other people in history).
    d. Advocate for the cause (write letters to those elected officials who are supposedly supposed to be addressing the problem, or tell your friends and family about ways to be involved, etc.)
    e. Get involved personally- volunteer in some way. Jesus said it this way “Go!”.
    f. Educate others on the issue and Christian responses to it.

    In the specific case of the Iraq war (the issue David originally posted about) I think actionable steps include prayer for the soldiers and leaders on all sides. It could mean donating money/time/goods for injured soldiers or families of those who’ve died (on all sides). It could mean being an advocate for the victims of war (on all sides) by writing letters or writing blog posts like David’s. It could be publicly calling out the injustices of a supposedly just war (on all sides). It could be by going and visiting US soldiers who are recovering here in the states. It could be going to Jordan to work with the 1,000,000 Iraqi refugees living there because of the war. It could be electing the right officials who will bring a just end of the war and some semblance of peace. And it may all start with actually mourning those who have died (a step which I think has incredible restorative power as we try to love our enemies). Maybe it’s just seriously asking God to reveal the next step for each of us personally. (But, we shouldn’t expect that God wants us all to be involved to the same extent or in the same way on this one issue.)

    The point of all this is not just social action for the sake of social action. It is to be salt and light in the darkest and most distasteful situations of our day. It is to show up and say to God, yourself, and the world – I am going to be counted as an agent of life in this situation, for the sake of Jesus and the sake of these people. It is to discover how Jesus is at work establishing his kingdom among the least and the lost of this world and then join in with him.

    My apologies to David for these extra long comments – we may have gone very far afield from the original intent of his post. I hope this particular discussion does not discourage others from posting their feedback on David’s original post.

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  7. Larry Eisner Avatar
    Larry Eisner

    Original intent be damned…I’m writing! 🙂

    Okay, seriously though, once more, thanks to David for bringing things like this to a forum where people can converge, think, and discuss openly! It’s awesome.

    Secondly, Thanks to Brian, who on top of being passionate about his writing, is on-the-ball with everything he wrote.

    Here’s my practical dilemma (and I’m entirely open to someone saying “well, you’re an overprivileged suburbanite and you’re speaking lazy nonsense…so be as brutal as need-be): Being a father of two very young, very trying kids, with no income as a stay-at-home dad, my resources, time, money, energy are few. Not as few as say, a homeless person, or someone in an impoverished country, to be sure, but for what I know, I’m pretty stretched to my limits.

    The group that I’ve felt very strongly attached to by God lately (over the past five years) has been the young adults. Those in high school, and even extending into college age, although I feel entirely inadequate to minster with them, as I was an idiot in college… but I digress) anyway, so I’ve been serving how I can, when I can, in that direction.

    I give more than I really have already there. My wife and kids are forgiving and definitely the reason I can continue to do such things, as I take a lot of time doing that work, plus the videos I do for them and the “big church”.

    Yet, when I read what you write, I concur entirely. So, how do I reconcile these things? I simply cannot devote myself to this cause and that cause simply because it should be cared about! I don’t have the simple resources to do so… And without sounding careless or jerk-y… I really mean that. I’m at wits end half the time as it is!

    And please know, while you were responding to me, I also am entirely aware that your response wasn’t like “Larry… you specifically need to do these things”. I know that. But it’s an issue I’ve struggled with since high school, honestly. When to say no. Because I’m the kind of person who would probably kill myself and my family through starvation and whatever, if I really felt my lord leading me through a path that made me do that. (No, I’m not a psychopath, and no I have no intentions of harming my family… hopefully you understand what I’m saying though…) I’m at a point in my life where I simply want to be used by God. Whatever that means, in whatever form. I’ve extended myself to the point of where if I go further, I break. I have no free time, no money, no safety net, and no strength to go further now, without breaking my family. And I would do this, if I felt compelled by God to do this.

    And here I am, confronted with the words you write… that are entirely in line with God’s command to “go” and do his work. Yet I am only one man.

    So what is the distinction? Where does the line change from “being lazy or non-confrontational” to serving with your heart, soul and body?

    While I am in no way saying I’m serving as best as I can, or that I could do no better, I am saying that I feel that my service is as effortful as I can give currently, if that makes any sense…

    And I know that a lot of people probably feel that same way in our community at Parkview. We have some very cheerful givers there (and not just in funds, but in time and energy and service), and I’m sure a lot of them give absolutely anything they have left over from what they need to the church. (Which I feel I and my wife do…)

    And I feel really strange writing that, as I know that I may come across as arrogant, or self-serving, or simply justifying… but it is a true struggle that faces me often… How much is enough? I know I’m not working for my salvation. That’s pointless. But I’m working for my LORD, whom I love, and owe absolutely everything I have and am to… So it’s really NEVER enough, right?

    Ugh, it’s quite frustrating, actually… because I don’t know if there is really an answer. And while I’m quite happy to do his work, I’m maddened that I feel unequipped to manage it. 🙂 There’s simply so much work to be done!

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  8. David Avatar
    David

    Really good stuff Larry. A few thoughts…

    –I think you have expressed the frustration of many folks with these words:

    How much is enough? I know I’m not working for my salvation. That’s pointless. But I’m working for my LORD, whom I love, and owe absolutely everything I have and am to… So it’s really NEVER enough, right?

    There is an almost tangible battle many of feel about how to spend our time. There is a sense that we must spend the bulk of our effort on the mundane things of life (making money, for example), while those things we would love to expend energy on regularly must be set aside.

    –Given the reality of our world’s problems and despair (the original post had in mind a violent war, but there are many additional examples we could list) and given the complexity of these issues, how does a Christian actually engage these things? We might throw our hands in the air in frustration or pretend they don’t exist. Or we may become cynical people who question the goodness of God.

    –You write that you’ve chosen to invest in young adults at this time in your life. Wonderful! Here is an example of being intentional with your time, choosing to invest in the future, and showing up one day after the next. I hope a person would never, ever feel that such beautiful service somehow doesn’t count because it’s not… what? Hard enough. Sacrificial enough. As you said, we are not about working for our salvation.

    As you point out, we cannot all seriously engage each of the issues that seem to be opposed to our Lord. It’s just not possible. But what we can do is decide how we spend the time and energy we do have. An example: When I watch the ABC World News in the evening, most of the newscast is taken up with a few national news stories and a couple of human interest stories. Should I turn on the BBC News on PBS however, I will spend the hour learning about what is actually happening around the world, not just my backyard. What might change if the American church was more informed about the realities of life for our family around the world? Would it change how we think about the Iraq war if we were informed about the amount of civilian casualties? Or the effects of the war on the church in Iraq?

    Certainly we cannot engage each of the issues we are made aware of. But we can pray for these things. And we may be surprised at the time and passion we discover as we make even a bit of room to pay attention to the world around us.

    But at the end of the day, as we pray for God’s world and serve those around us (like “your” high school students), we take time to enjoy the gifts of our God. We play with our family. We listen to beautiful music. We cook tasty Saturday morning breakfasts. We don’t misplace our rejoicing in the midst of lamenting. In other words, we demonstrate to the world our hope for the future. We show what it looks like to live as resurrection people.

    Longer than I meant it to be. Both yours and Brian’s comments have been helpful to me. Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Weekly Meanderings « The Way of a Pilgrim

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