War is a horrible thing. William Tecumseh Sherman who perpetrated its horrors on a wide swath of the rebellious South said, "War is hell." One of war's most hellish aspects is the treatment that prisoners of war often receive. I recently read two books about the treatment of American P.O.W.s under the Japanese in WW2. My uncle lost a lung and his sight as a result of his imprisonment in Germany. How a nation treats its enemies when they are helpless to either inflict further harm or do anything to protect themselves, is a powerful indicator of the moral ethos of that people.
Recent news about the brutal execution of Jordanian pilot, Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh is a powerful indication of the lack of respect for human life on the part of the ISIS terrorists. The video showing his death was not leaked. It was slickly produced and released as a propaganda tool. Americans, and Jordanians, among others, are rightly outraged.
Some realities about life on this planet are made plain:
Evil--monstrous evil--is a reality. Humans are capable of committing unspeakable atrocities.
Human life--even when that life is our enemy--bears the image of God. I believe that some wars are just. In fact I think there are times when it is wrong to not use force to restrain evil. But even in times of war the basic reality that all human life is a reflection of our Creator must be kept in mind.
The evil that we see exhibited so powerfully by the killing of Lt. Kasasbeh is not something that only resides in our enemy. All of us are descendants of the original sinner, Adam. I'm not saying we are just as bad as them. The reality is, though, that the forces that have restrained evil among civilized people need to be respected and nurtured. Unfettered evil is horrible beyond imagination.
This is just the beginning of a conversation. I hope it is taking place on the highest level in our nation. I hope for you it is . . .Something to Think About.
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment