Ponderings . . .

 

(source) 

“War. Huh. Good God, y’all. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!”

 Fifty-two years ago (in June), Edwin Starr caught the ear of millions around the world with the lyrics of this song which asked a short question.  War.  What is it good for?  I was almost 15 years old at the time and war was still raging in Viet Nam, there were troubles in Ireland and of course its always been bubbling in the middle East.  Lets not get started with the Cold War which reigned throughout my childhood . . .  and then there is Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Iraq . . .  the list goes on and on.

Throughout my whole lifetime, and certainly before I came into this life, Wars have been raging throughout the world.  

What is wrong with us?  As human beings and children of God, what is wrong with us?  Do we never learn our lesson?

From the moment that Abel's blood cried  to God from the earth and God asked Cain the question, "Where is thy brother?" . . .  the blood of mankind has been crying from the earth it seems . . .  and the answer, as with Cain's, has been, "Am I my brother's keeper?" 

I don't know why, but this aggression by Russia towards the Ukraine is really bothering me.  I feel helpless to do anything about it and my heart is breaking. I feel very much that I am my brother's keeper and I want to be doing something, but feel helpless  . . . all I can do is to pray and I pray constantly . . . 

For the people of the Ukraine, the mothers and the fathers, the sons and the daughters, the old and the infirm and the young and the helpless, and everyone in between.

Have we learned nothing in the 80 years since the second world war?  I feel that Putin will stop at nothing. He will not stop until all life has been drained from the Ukraine and then he will move on from there, annihilating all the life from all of the countries that were once a part of the USSR, and then . . . what next?  Will his war machine continue to plunder its way across Europe? 

Am I my brother's keeper?   

I feel very much that I must be my brother's keeper, that I am my brother's keeper.  And I cry daily because I feel so helpless in the face of what is going on.   And I wonder why this is affecting me more than other conflicts have, because  . . .  there's always been War in the world . . .  and God's children have always suffered because of it.  I am at a loss as to understand why this one I feel more.

Maybe its because I was there, watching on the television, when the Berlin Wall came down and I rejoiced with those dancing on the rubble of it.  My heart was filled with hope because of it. I dared to think that, as humanity,  we were taking a huge leap forward towards invoking freedom for all of God's children. 

Maybe its because I just don't understand this need of men to want to be in charge at any cost  . . .  to be the King of the Castle and to reign over the rest of us . . .  the dirty rascals.

My mother taught me to share my toys, to be kind to others . . .  to always live by the Golden rule. My heart always breaks when I see or read about others behaving in ways contrary to that. It hurts.

And, as well as sad  . . .  it makes me angry.  Injustice makes me angry. Greed makes me angry. I don't know what the answer is  . . . all I can say is Jesus come soon.

And I pray. I will do whatever I can do and what is asked of me to do . . . and then some.  I am very much my brother's keeper.  That's why my heart aches. I, too  . . . hear his blood calling from the dust.

Just my thoughts this morning.