Praying for Peace

Last Sunday (September 19), The Salvation Army held an international Call to Prayer for Peace. Salvationists all over the world, in every division, country and territory, were challenged to pray for peace during their times of worship.

The key thought for the day came from Micah, chapter four: “They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Micah 4:3).

The above words paint a beautiful picture. Swords and spears have been turned into gardening tools. Weapons once used to kill as tools of death, are used as tools to cultivate life. Modern examples could see tanks being used as bulldozers, nuclear bombs being used to supply the energy needs of small towns and villages, and helicopters being used solely for the purposes of lowering supplies to difficult to reach locations around the world. Modern weapons once used as tools of death, being used as tools to cultivate life.

An excellent initiative has taken place in some of the towns and villages of Papa New Guinea. With the encouragement of The Salvation Army, people have exchanged their weapons for Bibles.

Imagine a world where countries and nations stop fighting and engaging in war. Reflect on the men, women and children who would be alive today or who would have never met death in such a destructive way had war never been waged. Think of the resources that could be used on other global problems if military training and development were no longer needed.

There is no future in war. There is only a future in peace.

Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, can bring peace to our spiritual journeys. And in the midst of all the political turmoil and religious disagreement our world faces, Christ can bring peace to our world as well.

Let's pursue and pray for peace.

Captain Mark Braye and his wife, Nancy, are the officers/pastors of The Salvation Army Tri-Town Community Church in Temiskaming Shores, Ont. They have two children, Hannah and Micah. The four of them love to play and watch Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, and The Wiggles.

Comment

On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, John Stephenson said:

Patrick and Mark--you both have hit a point that many forget. In this world there will always be a need for military action (just as there is a need for police and corrections to use force). Pacifism is not a requirement for a Christian. What is a requirement is that we as much as we are able try to live in peace with others---but when those others cause problems or are aggressive then we need to take action.

The naive stance of many who call themselves pacifists ignores the reality of sin in this world.

On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, markbraye said:

Patrick, I don't disagree...

"There are people out there bent on destroying peace and military actions are tools in the tool box when diplomacy has failed."

War, however, is still ugly.

I appreciate something I've read that's been attributed to Jimmy Carter...

"War may sometmies be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children."

No matter what side of the debate we fall on, we can all agree to support the troops. I'd like to think we all agree that praying for and pursuing peace is prudent.

Naive? Unrealistic? Very likely.

Impossible? I hope not.

On Monday, September 27, 2010, Major Patrick Lublink, Military Chaplain said:

This was a beautiful and thoughtful article - but we do need a reality check. Sitting around in a campfire, holding hands, singing Kumbaya and longing for peace sound admirable, but is a naive and unrealistic perspective. Jesus himself said in Matthew 24 there would be war until the end of times. In the meanwhile the Lord calls us to action and not to contemplation.

In his official biography, "A Burning in My Bone", General Clarence Wiseman once wrote that he was a pacifist but that he could not live with its implication - he went on serve in the Canadian Forces as a military chaplain during World War II. C.S. Lewis wrote that pacifists were well intentioned but naive. There are people out there bent on destroying peace and military actions are tools in the tool box when diplomacy has failed. Let's support our troops

On Thursday, September 23, 2010, Rob Jeffery said:

Did you know that after the American Civil War, on the long walk home from the northern and southern battlefields, U.S. and Confederate troops would actually beat their rifles and swords into farming implements, literally, 'beating their swords into ploughshares' as the scriptures talked about.

This was an act of healing that helped them reintergrate back into normal life. As normal a life one can have after war.

On Wednesday, September 22, 2010, Karen Hoeft said:

Thanks Mark! What a great thought to share with our world today! May you be blessed!
Karen Hoeft