Keeping It Real

Have you ever had an opinion? Have you ever found yourself having an opinion based on partial information? Have you later discovered your opinion is wrong because you missed half the information about the subject? Sometimes that happens accidentally. Other times it happens on purpose. Sometimes it happens cause we're lazy. Other times because we choose not to see the real picture...because it may alter our opinion...because "our opinion" is so important. Unfortunately, in these cases its not based on facts...its based on our bias...so our opinion is just that..."ours" in our own little world...but not in the real world! As we celebrate Memorial Day in the great northwest... a time to honor the fallen soldiers and brave warriors of our country...our progressive bias here often clouds our opinions. Things get kinda fuzzy here...perspective wise sometimes. In Eugene especially...Berkley north...the land of progressive thought...all war is bad...thus all soldiers are not worthy of honor. Some actually believe this...though most temper that a bit. I see it in church circles as well. A rather naive view of God and war. Bumper stickers declare "who would Jesus bomb?", though obviously showing a political bias, some naively would nod in agreement. The subject of war, soldiers, and God is a touchy one. Obviously not all war is righteous. Clearly some are...that "stopping Hilter thing" seemed like a good move! Biblically God used war for His purposes. Other times scripture shows us battles that were clearly out of selfish ambition, revenge and ego. Yet is this new? Today some wars are selfish and purely about greed and power. Some are for righteous reasons, like protecting the downtrodden or impoverished or guarding against an ever growing tyrant perhaps. What is more righteous...allowing a tyrant to impoverish & enslave people for his ego's sake...or to defeat that tyrant to prevent it? Tough question. Tough answer. And let's face it, we do not have enough information to make these decisions. In a world of political agenda who knows? Sometimes nations go to war for political agenda...sometimes we don't go to war for political agenda, even when we should. Which is right or wrong? We don't know usually, but God does! But is this new? Hasn't man kind forever fought amongst itself for power and stuff? Sometimes have the brave fought boldly for freedom and to protect? Yes, is the obvious question. Yet some actually believe we, as a nation, are wrong for any war. That we are bullies. That we are too powerful. That we have taken our land from others, such as the Native Americian tribes...so thus we deserve no respect. This, I suggest is a clouded view, both realistically and spiritually. Consider, honestly, who are the first people...anywhere? OK, Europeans came to the Amercia's...took land in a variety of legit & not too legit ways. But the native American tribes also came to the America's from somewhere? Some say the south pacific...some Asia...some Europe...but they didn't originate here either. These tribes fought each other for land and stuff too. Some traded peacefully... others robbed, pillaged & raped there way. Where did the Europeans come from? Where did the Asian peoples come from? Well most DNA experts agree all people groups originally migrated from the northern Africa region &/or the Middle East. And as these tribes migrated... guess what...they sometimes traded peacefully... sometimes they warred! Throughout history every people group battled in war somebody! China's empire cost other weaker people groups a lot. The Roman Empire cost a lot of nations a lot. The Byzantine Empire, the Assyrian Empire, the Egyptian Empire...name it...they all fought someone...sometime. Sometimes for good reasons... other times for greed, power & ego. The point is this...every nation has fought wars...I would suggest, those wars were for both the right and sometimes the wrong reasons. But to suggest that God is against all war is naive. The bible is full of battles God asked to happen. The bible shows many good things coming from some of the wars depicted. Often evil nations or rulers were vanquished. Often God set the tables for some real good things by allowing people to be removed from oppression... due to their corrupt rulers losing in war! God, at times, even intervened on behalf of armies to lead them into victory...or defeat! At ECHO, we respect a persons right to their opinion...but be careful when attaching God's name to it. A blanket, God is a pacifist approach is not biblical. Jesus Himself will lead God's armies, on a white horse, in the battle to end all battles...so be careful in assuming God's a pacifist. Let's be honest...and lets be real. All nations have battled over history, and have taken & traded land for centuries...no one's innocent here. Even the small tribes of North America, Africa and Asia have battled each other. This isn't a big bully nation thing...its a people thing. The big question ECHO wants us to consider is this? Is it God's doing...or man's doing? Let's be honest...we usually don't know...so let's stop pretending we do! Sometimes it is...sometimes it isn't. This Memorial Day let's remember that...rather than judge those who have been lost. Their bravery and sacrifice should be honored regardless. Love would do as much, because their is no greater love than this...than to lay down your life for another! At ECHO we try to honor where honor is due...we pray you do too...in humility, knowing that you don't know as much as you think you do...and trusting a God who does know...even the hearts of men and nations! Sometimes we don't like how a story reads as it unfolds...and our choice is to trust the Author to complete the story as He intended, in spite of our opinion...or choose to disconnect from the story. Disconnecting from the truth, even the ugly truth, seems like a silly option...after all "history" is His-Story!
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be God's!

BrianO

Lead Pastor dude, ECHO