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The Pastoral Lens
Wars and Rumours of Wars
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Many of us have been glued to our television screens this last little while during the conflict in Iraq. It seems like "deja vu all over again" as we once again have a "Bush vs. Saddam" showdown, with a different Bush and the same Saddam. In case you're wondering, this article will NOT be about whether or not the U.S. should have attacked Iraq (I'll leave that forum for the political pundits to muddle through). Instead, I want to address the reaction of some that this war may be a signal to the end of the world.I remember how I felt when the Gulf War broke out during the presidency of George Bush, Sr. I was a newlywed and had lots of dreams and goals out in front of me. Now, like a dart from a stun gun, I felt a sense of fear and apprehension about the safety of my world. I remember going home one night after work and picking up my Bible. "Doesn't God's Word have something to say about all this?" I thought. There, in Matthew 24:6-8 were key words from the lips of Jesus Himself: "And you will be hearing of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs."
The vicious terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 caused fear to infiltrate the hearts of the American people in an unprecedented way. Nevertheless, the end has not yet come. Saddam Hussein is the latest in a seemingly long line of dictators who have raped the world of life and justice. We have endured the likes of Hitler, Pol Pot, Marcos, and Idi Amin, to name a few. Each one has had his time of tyranny, with much war and bloodshed, but the end has not yet come. Their terrifying regimes have woven a ghastly tapestry of fear into the hearts of many people but in the end, they have passed and the Lord still stands.
To be sure, there will be more wars leading to the end, and Israel will play a crucial part in it all. When I hear of chemical and biological weapons, I think of the words of the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:10: "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." Obviously, that hasn't happened yet, but we are moving ever closer. Is the war in Iraq the beginning of the end? According to the Bible it's not, but it is a sign that we are another step closer. Hmm. Wars and rumours of wars. I'm glad I've made spiritual preparations for the end. How about you?
