THE HUMAN SIDE
“Never again war, never again war!” The rousing words of St. Paul VI rang like a bomb blast during his Oct. 4, 1965, visit to the United Nations.
Throughout time, the most chilling cries have been against war. Horrendous violence, massive destruction, uprooting, psychological trauma and lifetime hate are just some of its scourges. Often its aftermath can be even worse than war itself with no one winning.
Wars in which one country attempts to deprive another of its freedom are not only an affront to humanity, but, most disturbing, they are an offense to God. Why is this so and what is it imploring us to do more of?
The most beautiful blessing of being created in the image and likeness of God is the bestowal of God’s gift of freedom on us. God determined that we be free. Among other gifts of freedom, we have inherited the ability to “initiate” and to “choose.” We can deliberate and are free to make choices on our own.
Unlike the animal world, we have power to initiate and take action based on more than instinct. Although there are many circumstances to consider, ultimately the decision to act is on our shoulders due to God’s gift of our mind and its faculties. We are not robots but humans in charge of change.
Freedom comes with responsibility. When left unchecked, it can lead to chaos and self-destruction. Anything as precious as freedom requires safeguards.
War in Ukraine is about freedom, but seldom do we hear it addressed in terms of God’s gift of freedom. Overlooked are the psalms that remind us that our world is God’s creation and God’s love of us is an act of divine caring. In one respect, we are not only experiencing a war against Ukraine but against God’s providence.
As in all wars, the aftermath can end up creating chaos worse than the chaos of war itself. Evil tends to mutate. War can bring us to our knees in prayer as we strive to attain what God ultimately desires for us too: peace and freedom.
