A War-Weary Christmas Wish

I find that I am becoming war weary.  We seem to be becoming so used to warfare, that we no longer understand how to live without it in our lives in some fashion.  I have to wonder sometimes that if our perpetual wars are to blame for the increasing lack of civility in our country.  Political rhetoric is becoming so polarized that no one can voice opinions for fear of being labeled a radical or a traitor.  Presidents are being called ‘liars’ by state representative.  Vitriol is the currency on the radio, the web, the television stations.  The more obvious the hate, the more ‘clear’ the message.

It troubles me.  It troubles me that people are killing people for Xbox One deals and celebrating that they got the last one while another shopper is dying from stab wounds.  Perpetual warfare makes us de-value life.  Not video games, not music.  A world where people can kill and be killed by drones, wars, terrorism – this is a world that no longer holds human life in high esteem.  It is a world in which being sent to kill someone doesn’t seem morally objectionable.

Granted, this is an oversimplification of tremendous issues facing our world.  But it seems that we have pushed ourselves into a place where violence is the voice to whom we will listen and peace is a suggestion we may or may not take.

I suppose I am merely war weary.  I am tired of hearing of so many soldiers returning with lives shattered both physically and emotionally.  I am tired of hearing of dozens, hundreds, thousands of people being killed during any given week.  These are our human family members.

I do honor the men and women who serve.  It is a calling; it is a sad necessity in this world, but it also seems to illustrate how far we have to go and how little we have done in our history as a race to work towards peace.  War seems to be the only thing humanity does well.  Are we by nature war like?  Is this why Jesus is asked by John the Baptist, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we wait for another?” 

We don’t see Jesus because he just doesn’t fit with how we tend to operate as a culture and as a world.  So we look for another who is more to our liking.  A warrior.  But this misses the message of Christmas, a message that we sometimes manage to briefly remember as we move into the actual Christmas holiday.  And that is that God did not send a warrior messiah, nor did God send Caesar.  God sent one who would embody what it means for God to be with us.

So here is my Christmas wish (and it isn’t short): I wish that those who claim the name of Christ would learn how to find peace in their own hearts.  “God with us” came that we might have an example, a model of what it looks like to be what we would term “Christlike.”  May we Christians learn to be Christ-like in our actions, in our words, and in our faith.  Perhaps if we can find the peace of God in our own hearts, we might learn how to offer that peace to all whom we meet.

Because if we can embody Christ, then perhaps Christ can bring peace to our world through those who have sought him out.  We keep praying for peace.  Perhaps if we sought it out as we invite Christ into our hearts, we might stand a change of that prayer of millions to be answered. 

May God be with us, and may the peace of Christ be with you this Christmas.