Did you know that the United States' military budget exceeds that of the next 25 nations combined? Did you know that the so-called "Christian West" possesses 90% of the nuclear weapons on the planet? "Christian" America is the only country that has ever dropped an atomic bomb.
Now, try to imagine yourself as an impoverished and disenfranchised person in another part of the world who has been taught that Christians are colonialists and crusaders bent on conquest and exploitation of others' vulnerability and natural resources. (How did our oil get under their sand anyway?) Without condoning vicious acts of terrorism that have been carried out by an extremist minority, can we have some empathy for the fear and rejection of our ways that is expressed toward us? If we can find it in our hearts to have some understanding for why they feel the fear and mistrust that they do, then maybe, just maybe, we can agree that a heavy handed, threatening foreign policy is exactly what we don't need in today's world. It only confirms their stereotypes and misunderstandings of us.
Jesus told us to feed our enemies and show kindness to those who mistreat us. However one justifies bluster and threatening the unleashing of our awesome military might as a feature of American foreign policy, it is far from what Jesus taught. It arises from fear and power preservation, not love. If our security and comfort is coming at the expense of people weaker and less fortunate, it is selfish and unjust.
Maybe you think it's a good thing that the U.S. is the most feared nation on the planet; I don't. I'd much prefer we were the most loved nation. These days I find myself longing for leaders who take Jesus' words to heart and display a will for peace rather than a cocky, intimidating readiness for war. How different might the world be today if we had taken the half trillion dollars the war in Iraq has cost us and invested it instead in food for the hungry, education, medical assistance and diplomacy?
