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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodist News |
November 2001 |
Commentary:
Learnings from Hawks, Owls and Doves
By. L. Stephen Cain
On Sept 11, a group of students and I were in the prayer chapel when news of the attack came. Moved by the scenes, we stopped twice to pray for our President and the world. Expecting more terrorism, we acted quickly and were able to lead our campus to prayer by noon on the day of the attack.
Having debriefed many groups on the event, I am perplexed by Sept. 11. Without claiming to have all the answers, the following are my learnings:
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It's OK and healthy to be confused. A state of prayerful questioning of these events and our military response is probably the most healthy;
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Sept. 11 was an atrocity. It was an attack on civilization as well as the United States. No justification exists. Questions of why need attention. Bringing the perpetrators to justice is important. How we do it, also;
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It is good to elicit the varied voices in our communities: hawk, owl, dove. Hawks believe that war is a routine response to end violence. Owls believe war as a last resort may be the wise thing to do, but wisdom is first. Doves believe that violence begets violence and war is never a solution. All these voices and those in between need to be heard and respected.
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Finding your loyal opposition is important. Dialogue with someone who holds opposing views can give correction and learning.
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Search for unifying and accurate metaphors. The world is a human body with a virus known as terrorism. Only a healthy world with a strengthened immune system will really resolve the problem we face. Reject inadequate metaphors.
Supporting each other in honest dialogue, I think we will see the logic of war has become questionable. We are horrified by Sept. 11, in part, because it exposes the ineffectiveness of military security. The arms, surveillance, bombs, military, CIA, of the most powerful nation in the world, did not protect us. What would have? What will? Our current bombing has been compared to swinging a golf club through a dandelion, spreading seeds of terror. We can be more creative. Today (Oct. 19) nuclear weapons was suggested. That's absurd. How did we get this logic of war?
There is another wisdom, mostly untried, very unpopular. It comes from a radical Galilean Jew. His last miracle was the healing of his enemies' ear when cut by a disciple. He said: "No more of this." The Lamb's war is fought through suffering servant hood, surprise, restraint and peace. We become vulnerable because of our values. So be it. Jesus shed his own blood rather than shed the blood of his enemies. He is our commander in chief, declaring peace on the world. Like our slain NY firefighters whose example so moved us, his wisdom in a moment of horror was to lay down life in service, to heal the world. Ultimately, that's what we will have to do.
The Rev. L. Stephen Cain is director of the Wesley Foundation at Purdue University www.wesleyfoundation.org .
Last updated on 01/14/2004