The Cracked Acorn: Enemies

I remember when one of my early morning coffee friends celebrated his 83rd birthday. He and his wife fully enjoy their retired years mowing their lawn and enjoying the attractions of local living. He was an army ammo truck driver in the Pacific islands during World War II. I was almost 6 years old when the war ended on September 2, 1945. This was due to the dropping of the newly discovered atomic bomb. My father was packed and ready to go when the radio announced that it was over. My friend would have been part of the invasion of the enemy mainland. I remember that he said that there has always been war and fighting somewhere during his lifetime!! How true!!

Recorded history lists 23 major wars within the past thousand years. These have taken millions of lives and today the most recent one has cost in the twelve figures and still escalating. The Old and the New Testaments repeat the ancient words,”Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed,” (Psalm 4:1-2) We may have “taken a small step but not a giant leap”, to settle our differences and live in love, harmony and peace on planet earth. Many are hoping and praying that Christ will return and establish stability for those who love HIM. I hope and desire this with all my heart but I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel when the thoughts of men override everything that the Scriptures teach us.

We have taken on the world and so far we have been victorious. Our blood is being shed to keep our shores unstained and safe for future generations. I like the sound sleep that I get at night. I remember when we never locked our house and when we did, the neighbors knew where we kept the key. We never locked our cars and did not have any outside security lights or burglar systems. Our greatest enemy will always be the one “within.” A good leader must always convince the people that sacrifice is necessary for a just cause. Imperial Rome fell as did Charlemagne’s Holy Roman Empire. Alexander conquered the known world, where is that glorious empire today. Napoleon lost it all at Waterloo. The sun at one time never set on the British Empire, but it does today. It may have taken all the west to do it, but the Hitler reign of a 1,000 years lasted about 12 years.

The United States recently has been set on the point of a needle. The mistreating of prisoners at the Iraq Abu Ghrares prison has drawn lots of news coverage. If we are victors how should we treat our enemies that fall into our hands.

“But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless then that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44,45)