What to Feel and Do About Syria? 082913
English: Columns in Palmyra, Syria, 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: A BGM-109 Tomahawk land-attack missile (TLAM) is fired toward an Iraqi target from the battleship USS MISSOURI (BB-63) at the start of Operation Desert Storm. Deutsch: Ein BGM-109 Tomahawk wird von der USS MISSOURI am Beginn der Operation Desert Sorm abgeschossen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Launch of a Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile from the USS Stethem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Islam invasion of Syria, Hebrew map (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This blog comes to you from the people at Peace Mennonite Church of Columbia, MO
Today’s Scriptures Click the following links to read today’s scriptures or scroll to the very bottom of this blog post for those scriptures also. Lectionary Scriptures for the day selected by http://www.commontexts.org/
Psalm 112 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20112&version=MSG
Proverbs 15:13-17 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2015:13-17%20&version=MSG
1 Peter 3:8-12 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%203:8-12%20&version=MSG
What to Feel and Do About Syria? 082913
We’ve talked some the last few days about the pending, expected, inevitable, perhaps, US ‘missiling’ of Syria. It doesn’t seem like a bombing, because we’re not dropping bombs out of an aircraft. I expect that a button will be pushed aboard a Navy ship, and Tomahawk missiles will fly off to kill and destroy.
There are numerous fascinating and complex issues to politically, militarily, internationally consider. But it almost seems like evasion. At the base of this situation is the action that will result potentially in the death of many, unnumbered and uncared-for human beings. At the base, the root of this pending action is death and destruction. This is war, in its darkness, whether or not there is a declaration.
With this choice of death there are lots of speeches, but no formal legal declaration of war.
Instead of this ‘missiling’, what if the US, via Obama, simply announced that we refuse to do anything to put Syrians at risk of death and injury. Instead, the US will recruit 30,000 social workers to travel to Syria, as individual Christ-disciples, and arrange and help to provide food, clean water, medical care, housing and education for the Syrian nation.
This offer should be shared with beloved humans, Muslim, Jewish and Christian, and within all sects of Islam, (and neither ‘side’ in the Sunni v. Shiite conflict).
This type of discussion is seldom heard from a Christian minister. Why?
Pray for peace. Pray for food, clean water, medical care, housing and education for Syria. Read today’s Bible verses. Do they apply to this issue?
Pastor Bill
Prayer List: Peace Mennonite Church keeps a prayer list for those in need. If you need prayer, or want to e-mail our pastor, e-mail billd @ peacemennonitechurch.net (Take out the extra spaces to use this e-mail—the spaces confuse spam generators).
Pray with us!
We are praying as a church, and attempting to follow the centuries’ old tradition of praying with other Christians three times a day. We are following the prayer liturgy at www.commonprayer.net
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Peace Mennonite Church of Columbia, MO Permission is granted for one-time non-commercial use with proper attribution.
Subscribe to our blog!Delivery daily by e-mail.Click the button on the right.
Psalm 112
The Message (MSG)
112 1-10 Hallelujah!
Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God,
Who cherish and relish his commandments,
Their children robust on the earth,
And the homes of the upright—how blessed!
Their houses brim with wealth
And a generosity that never runs dry.
Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people—
God’s grace and mercy and justice!
The good person is generous and lends lavishly;
No shuffling or stumbling around for this one,
But a sterling and solid and lasting reputation.
Unfazed by rumor and gossip,
Heart ready, trusting in God,
Spirit firm, unperturbed,
Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies,
They lavish gifts on the poor—
A generosity that goes on, and on, and on.
An honored life! A beautiful life!
Someone wicked takes one look and rages,
Blusters away but ends up speechless.
There’s nothing to the dreams of the wicked. Nothing.
Proverbs 15:13-17
The Message (MSG)
13 A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.
14 An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;
fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.
15 A miserable heart means a miserable life;
a cheerful heart fills the day with song.
16 A simple life in the Fear-of-God
is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.
17 Better a bread crust shared in love
than a slab of prime rib served in hate.
1 Peter 3:8-12
The Message (MSG)
Suffering for Doing Good
8-12 Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
Whoever wants to embrace life
and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
run after peace for all you’re worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
listening and responding well to what he’s asked;
But he turns his back
on those who do evil things.
Related articles
- IDF on high alert ahead of possible US assault in Syria (warsclerotic.wordpress.com)
- Republican Sen. Corker says he “would support surgical, proportional military strikes” against Syria (gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com)
- Rep. Grayson on Syria strike: Military-industrial complex wants it, Americans don’t (rawstory.com)
- Syria vote: Which MPs rebelled? (bbc.co.uk)
- Pray for Peace in Syria 082713 (mennonitepreacher.wordpress.com)
Mennonite Preacher 