1 Chronicles 16:19-22 19 When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in the land, 20 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, 21 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, 22 saying, "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
There are no accidents in war. It is all premeditated. It is entirely the intentional exercise of power through violent force.
We were all stunned with the bombing of Baghdad. Soon the world realized that Iraq had no meaningful defense, not in the face of US superiority. “Shock and awe” was the glamorous display US techno-military hardware.
We were all stunned into believing that such awesome power was somehow necessary. We accepted the moral illusion that says it is acceptable, even necessary, to kill thousands of civilian to take a couple of misguided shots at “high value targets.”
One envisions a long line up of children shot one at a time as an arcade game for some bigger prize. Or rather we don’t see the children at all. We don’t see the grandparents, the sisters, the brothers, or the parents torn apart with each blast that lights up the night sky. We are blinded by the blast.
We do not hear the prayers that rise up before God, one soul at a time.
Before the attack, some activists had petitioned the Pope to go to Baghdad and remain there as a moral shield. Would this have prevented the war planners in the Administration from carrying out their schemes?
Sure, this would have been a political problem, killing the Pope “unintentionally.” But what really is the moral distinction between killing the Pope and killing just one small child? “Collateral damage” is just a reality of war, damned be any sanctity in human life.
No, the intent of modern warfare is to tear apart bodies and traumatize the human psyche. Gone are the days when one army battled against another army. Rather it is now high technology set against civilian populations. There are no accidents.
By distinction, terrorism is relatively low technology set against civilian populations. When a fanatic straps on some homemade explosives and takes them into a public place, what follows is no accident.
The distinction is between high and low technology, between well engineered weapon systems and improvised devices. Our moral illusion is that somehow high tech can deliver “surgical strikes” that can destroy a city from a safe distance with only minimal harm to civilians. Still children are torn apart. Any surviving family members wail to God as neighbors rush them to medical help or stack their lifeless bodies on trucks.
To this, God’s prophets of old say, “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”
Our own people serve in the military with honor and skill, but they too are being damaged day by day in this conflict. We count our fallen, the wounded and the killed. Still spiritually and emotionally wounded are many more. They will need and truly deserve our respect, compassion and understanding. They will grieve for a lifetime at the moral damage that will last for generations, both here and abroad.
Christ stands with all the wounded and offers healing in his hands. So in faith against all moral illusion, I too will stand and grieve with all the prophets and all God’s little ones. I will sing:
When they were few in number
of little account, and strangers in the land
God allowed no one to oppress them
Yah rebuked kings on their account, saying
“Do not touch my anointed ones
and do my prophets no harm.”
And they traveled from nation to nation
from one kingdom to be another people
God instructed them to have no fear
but be faithful in covenant, saying
“Do not touch my anointed ones
and do my prophets no harm.”
Now we too are called to follow this God
a people set free, a royal priesthood
to stand with all the downcast of the land
to rebuke the oppressor’s hand, saying
“Do not touch my anointed ones
and do my prophets no harm.”
When we were few in number
of little account, and strangers in the land
God allowed no one to oppress us
Yah rebuked kings on our account, saying
“Do not touch my anointed ones
and do my prophets no harm.”
May God grant us true repentance.
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