The first international/military event I had a conscious memory and (at least limited) understanding of was the 1979 Fall of The Shah of Iran and the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Prior events are somewhat removed from my memory although by all rights I should have some recollection of the Vietnam conflict. It was the first time that unrest was real to me outside of books on World War II; I still remember the burned fuselage of the airport from the failed US rescue operation.
Soon after that (at least in my mind) came the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Suddenly not only world conflict and international events were introduced to me, but I got my first view of the Cold War.
Since that time, I have watched as the series of international events and conflicts had thundered across the stage of the late 20th Century and early 21st Century. Some of them I remember where I was when they started: the 1991 Iraq War, the Long War in Afghanistan. Others I heard as I read of them: the civil wars of El Salvador and Peru, the Chechnyan War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Fall of Yugoslavia. Wars upon wars, military actions upon military actions. The weapons change: the carnage and cost remain as they ever were.
I long ago surrendered any sense of surviving an actual nuclear conflict. Part of that is simply the fact that I have always lived in places that would be directly or indirectly impacted by such strikes. Part of that is thought that likely I would not likely live long through a post nuclear strike world. In a way that has been a great weight lifted of my shoulders: one thing I have no control over to not worry about.
But as virtually my entire life has shown me, there are a lot of gradations up to that point of no return. And add in all the issues that come with wars up to that point - economic disruptions, civil disruption, civil rights disruption - and seems there are only varying shades of undesirability.
To be clear of course, one does what one can to prepare. A hard Winter or economic disruption are things I can understand and plan for. A major military event for which we have now weapons of such power and precision that - to be fair - anyone that wanted to target a individual could take them out by home or by city - is a bit more difficult to build a crisis plan for.
Christ said that we would have "wars and rumors of wars" before the end, of course. And I suppose in certain quarters antennae are all atwitter with potential prophetic implications. That is not to deny that it could be "The Time", of course; but given my own lifetime of watch world conflict, I find I am not as worked up as I could be - or perhaps should be.
I have at least lived long enough to understand I have no control over such international events. The only thing I can contain and control are my own thoughts, emotions, and actions. And maybe the small things I do to get ready for "something" will not give me a chance at surviving "The Big One", but at least it will help me feel I am in a position to get through lesser events with some degree of confidence.
Pray hard, as always - and be sure to plant your garden.
I think the hardest thing is to not fret, but to try to live each day as to be pleasing in His sight. If only that was as easy as it sounds.
ReplyDeleteLeigh, for me I like to say I do not fret - but then I keep referring to the news to see what is going on. So even I am a less "fretless" than I would like to be.
DeleteBut yes - the other is at least more in my control, even if I am not more successful at it.
If you remember it's God first, Family second, pray for wisdom and plant those gardens I suspect God should be pleased.
ReplyDeletePray to God for a good harvest but it's your job to prepare the soil, plant the seeds, hoe the weeds, water those plants, and then like the little Red Hen harvest.
Ultimately this world isn't our final home.
It is not our final home Michael, and I try to frame my life that way, although I fail on a regular basis.
DeleteSeems questions about duty to God isn't new:
ReplyDeleteEcclesiastes 12:13 Context
10The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
And What expects from us is often quite clear:
Michah 6:8 is well known but in full:
With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.
I ask can you act justly and love mercy towards God?
What God requires of us to act towards each other and our relationship with Him.
The questions are not, Michael.
DeleteA good exercise I saw recommended (and have done) is to go through the New Testament and underline everything that was a command or something the Christian should do. It makes for a pretty full list to keep busy at.
To love mercy. To plant a garden. A strong well armed man guards his home well. Woody
ReplyDeleteWoody, those are all eminently doable things on a daily basis (well, at least plant a garden. Grow something in the garden, a different story.).
DeleteAlthough we are the same age, I had forgotten about some of the above listed wars. I guess it is just the human condition to forget about things not directly impacting my life.
ReplyDeleteI have lived among people who have been praying for world peace since I was in middleschool. I think they will be praying for longer than I live.
Ed, I was a Political Science major with a minor in International Relations. The stuff was in my blood, for better or worse.
DeleteI, too, know of these people that pray for world peace. They are sincere, and I admire their hope.
I can remember in elementary school (K-6) leaving our classroom and sitting down outside in the hall cross-legged facing the wall and interlocking hands behind the head during "fire drills", early 60's. To quote that video game....."War, War never changes".....but what YOU do can, remember that TB.
ReplyDeleteNylon12, I was past the point of that being a drill (although my high school was a designated emergency shelter, as it turns out), but I have seen the pictures.
DeleteYou are correct: there are always things we can do.
When we lived in El Cajon (20 miles east of San Diego bay) the wife and I decided we would head for a downtown high rise to see the big show and go out in a flash. Didn't want to go through the aftermath of a nuke.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, having gone through Air Force basic and tech school (1969 for me), you're indoctrinated in NBC warfare. Don't want anything to do with those, but now, our dotgov inflicts psych, chemical and biologic warfare against us. An Air Force class on "Rumors and Propaganda", helped prep me for modern, adult life in the illusion based, Empire of Lies, FUSA. Head up and smile, make 'em wonder.
TM, that was similar to my high school friend The Director's plan: there was a bluff near our town that overlooked the larger plain, including the local airforce bases. If the balloon ever really went up, his plan was to go there and watch it all fall apart.
DeleteI grew up in the 80's with the threat of nuclear war, but I guess was too young to really take it seriously. It was drilled into me by MTV mainly when so many pop videos and songs were of that subject. War confounds me. I understand defence, but I don't understand offence and never will.
ReplyDeleteRain, we get the '80's mix at Product (A)Isle now, and occasionally "99 Red Balloons" hits the play list. Funny how the Cold War that created that song ended, but nothing really changed.
DeleteThere was a lot about the Cold War ingrained into 1980's culture.
Hubby and I joined the Air Force at the end of the Viet Nam war. (He from Louisiana, me from Michigan. We met in Mississippi. ) That gave us a "tag" of Viet Nam veteran though we never served in theater in the war, and was a tag we never claimed. I served a tour in Korea. Since the war there was never officially ended, that gave me a "tag" of Korean veteran. Another tag I would never claim because I did not go through what the *real* veterans went through.
ReplyDeleteSorry. a lot of random words there.
There is nothing I can do about these wars. Or the war coming to America, possibly sooner thanks to all the misguided no borders, let all the fighting age men come in unchecked. As you say "Wars and rumors of wars". It's all in God's capable hands to direct as He sees fit.
All we can do is pray for his mercy and protection.
You all be safe and God bless.
Linda, that is an odd thing, to be "tagged" after the conflict has effectively ended - although it makes sense to me.
DeleteIt is indeed in God's hands. I have to remind myself of that often.