Where Does War Really Begin?

Sources of news and social media are filled with images of tanks, bombs blowing up, makeshift maternity wards with new babies, and individuals showing and describing the war on the other side of the planet. Talking heads report movement of soldiers and what government leaders are saying and doing. Sides are taken.

For some of you, today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, a season to grow closer to God by preparing hearts for Easter (the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection). For 40 days, followers fast, pray, and deny themselves as Jesus did during his 40 days of temptation by the devil in the desert. You can read about Jesus’ time of temptation in The Bible in the book of Matthew, chapter 9, verses 8-11.

Don’t you find that a season of denying yourself brings up a war between your flesh and trying to do something good? You send “thought bombs” to your stomach when it growls during a food fast. Your taste buds send “grenade memories” when you give up something sweet. You try to pray, and your mind rolls through tanks of pressing concerns. You decide to give. When you review your finances, air raids with thoughts of debt attack you.

How about the times your brother, sister, best friend, or significant other does something over and over that irritates you? What if they believe they have the right to take something that belongs to you? You try to push down the irritation. You try to be nice. They should know this is not okay. They seem to be controlling you. Finally, you can’t take it anymore. You unleash your anger. If they respond with anger, you have a battle. If the battle is not resolved, then you both might enlist other family members and friends. They take sides. If the sides cannot resolve the issue, then you could have a war. Since war can be within ourselves, between individuals, families, groups of people, cities, countries and nations, doesn’t it begin within each one of us?

Like the popular song, Let There Be Peace On Earth, written by husband and wife songwriting duo Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller in 1955, let us give up anger and hatred for Lent and pray for peace within ourselves, for one another, and for those in the midst of a full-scale war.

Take a moment to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akjaidEL-1U