I was perusing MSN’s homepage, and I found a slideshow on war-torn Libya. I could not help but be struck with a sense of awe while looking at this picture. Take a moment and just look at the details. Please.
Picture borrowed from Rodrigo Abd / AP
In a world with so many modern advances– cancer research, clean energy, cell phones, and the Internet– I struggle with the idea that people feel the need to destroy cities and kill people to “win.” Aren’t there more 21st Century ways of dealing with problems? The destruction in this picture represents a total disregard for life and progress. And what does all of this destruction accomplish?
The fact does not allude me that when and where we are born is not a choice. I am lucky that my house is not one of the bombed apartments in this picture. Right now, I have pumpkins and scarecrows in my yard. I am celebrating autumn and anticipating Halloween while other people in the world are wondering when the next battle will ensue.
For the most part, I do not feel fear. I wake up every day and look out at the beautiful Autumn sunrise, and then I enjoy the changing colors and the falling leaves. When I smell smoke, it is from burning leaves not burning buildings. When I hear an aircraft flying overhead, it is a commercial aircraft not a jet bomber on an air strike. When I hear people screaming, it’s either for or against the call on the football field, it is not the screams of people in pain or shock.
I did not go to church today, but I would like to say a prayer.
Dear God,
Please allow people to find better ways to resolve conflict than war. Let them see that destruction is the opposite of progress, and we have the ability to live in a beautiful world. Please help the innocent who cannot help themselves. Please keep the children out of harm’s way. And please, God, let all of those who are suffering find inner peace. Let them find a way to live without fear.
Amen
We were just talking about this in church… And praying.
Have to pray, it is too crazy of a world.
Thanks for reminding us about the centrality of luck. In America, so many well-off people believe they did it all themselves, and they deserve it. We rarely recognize that most of our wealth and privilege is due to dumb luck.
Technology has advanced beyond belief. But the art and practice of human politics remains in the dark ages. Our ability to interact with each other has not advanced at all. In fact, we regress. We forget our manners in personal relationships. In international relations, we abandon the historic boundaries that had limited the killing.
We used to make treaties to limit weapons. We used to practice diplomacy. Sometimes we tried to follow “rules of war” that limited engagement and protected civilian populations.
Increasingly, we practice unlimited violence. Terrorism and drone attacks. It’s no longer surprising when the U.S. attacks other countries and kills civilians through open warfare and clandestine operations. Rulers of other countries kill their own people, and terrorists strike out at anyone, even a Pakistani schoolgirl.
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This gave me goose bumps. Especially that paragraph right before your prayer. I hope for these things too Cheryl.