Want to respond to JJS publicly:

thanks for the comment! I love feedback. It's good to know you're out there. More the merrier.

JJS Wrote in his comment to my last post:
1 Comments:

Justin said...
The war...
What's left of it.
Those who seek to kill all the Jews and all the "westerners."
I guess no one understands this. They will not stop until they are dead or we are all dead. They have made that totally clear. So I guess it's more holy to love one than that other?
I am better blessed to love a terriorist by opposing the war and the President; and risking the old man next door to death in an atomic flash?
Good, as this excuses all of us from the horror of war.
Whom shall I love?
-jjs

10:33 AM

Good questions. I hear a pained heart. I'm sorry for all the pain we're all experiencing in light of 9/11 and the war and the whole world. I don't oppose our president, and I'm not interested in politics in specific. In general, today, I feel deceived and let down.

as for loving a terrorist: no, not by opposing the war and the president. that's not it.

by serving the Truth, courageously, uncompromisingly, no matter what the cost. The Truth will lead us down, beneath the symptoms of these things, into the roots of the deepest human problems. Instead of fighting the branches, we can bring the fight to the root.

as for "they will not stop until they are dead, or we are all dead", we're already dead as long as we see this life as something to cling to... as long as we have in mind the interests of men, not of God...

So, I do guess it's more holy to love our enemies, reaching out to them here, in love. Going to their countries and sharing in their trouble. Learning their perspective, sharing the Gospel of Christ, weeping their tears with them... It's more holy to love than to hate... To give mercy than to withhold affection... To share hospitality than to hold count of offenses...

Loving those who love us, who don't threaten us, who share our view of things is simple and natural. There's nothing in this that's beyond the unregenerate life...

Loving those who hate us, judge us, despise us for our skin, our flag, our religion... This is to love! To cry for their dead children. To pray for their leaders. To crave Kingdom Come FOR THEM... To spend ourselves in prayer and work for their healing!

This is not to bomb an old man. This is not to hate my neighbor. This isn't to start a nuclear war. Our government has given the option of CO as a viable option for some. This is in honor of law, order, the president, and the American Way. This isn't rebellion. It's done in submission, according to the way established in law. The founders of this law were wise, since there are those for whom participation in military service is a profound moral sin, inlight of other vocation.

Zach is responding to a vocation to be a peace-maker. I support him fully, convinced that he will serve Christ to all of our betterment in that call...

This isn't anything like the exposure of an old man to death in an atomic flash.

Now, there's possiblity for debate, however, on the most faithful, effective, creative ways to safeguard the safety of an old man next door. As for that, Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9/11. Their threat to Israel was not what it was made out to be. A war with them just isn't the most effective... It just didn't make sense! Not an 80billion dollar war. Not a 300 billion dollar war...

I think we were far from our capacity for creative solutions in deciding war. I think we were thinking with our fears and loathing, not with the good of the world, or our neighbors, in mind.

Time will tell what our war in Iraq means for us. In my opinion, it's a distraction from the best options...

What are the criteria for a "just war"? How many of them did our action in Iraq meet? I don't know. I'm just disappointed to see such high cost in human lives committed to such a rabbit trail...

And I respect Zach's lawful dissent and honorable handling of his course. I think we all should, even if we don't agree with his conclusions. We're all trying to walk out Love for Christ here.

Thanks for your comment here, JJS. I'm glad you come around! See ya friday!