Twilight of War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcmWAJLWeXs

War exacts a price only to be paid by those who rest in peace. Far from being the end of life, death is just a new beginning. Inevitably bound for a rude awakening are all who wantonly disregard how the choices made in life inexorably shape our eternity. Before making spiritually informed decisions directly affecting our lives, this debilitating oversight should always be diligently rectified and exigently overcome. In a deeply interconnected world, where our lives are inextricably interwoven, being of service to others first requires taking ownership over our own words, choices and actions. Only by contributing real value to the lives of others can we finally understand the true meaning of our own. For the militarily inclined, without first understanding the spiritual meaning and consequences of war, there is simply no hope of attaining true peace, be it in this life or in the next.

Many of the harrowing sacrifices borne while engaged in armed combat directly impact our eternity, determining what becomes of our souls in the afterlife. This spiritual awakening requires considerable soul-searching both in times of peace and in times of war. No wonder the ultimate sacrifice made for our own country is laying down our lives while fighting for it. For those who understand the true meaning of life and the spiritual consequences of our choices and actions, the taking of a life is hardly a trivial matter. As the always laconic William Munny once so candidly confessed: "It's a helluva thing killin' a man... you take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have." Given the many spiritual consequences of killing, taking a life requires a certain character disposition entirely unbecoming of the faint-hearted, especially during the most trying times of war.

Although Christ himself came into this world not to bring peace but a sword, those who live by the sword also presumably stand to die by it. This verity can easily be confirmed by reading a few biblical passages conveying Christ's own messianic teachings regarding this contentious subject matter, paying special attention to St. Matthew 10:34 and St. Matthew 26:52. Once having systematically understood these verses, a divinely inspired wisdom advises us to proceed with extreme caution, due diligence and the requisite care. Of the many things he was not, describing Christ as the quintessential good teacher requires only a conspicuous ignorance of the Bible. When addressed as the good rabi in St. Mark 10:18, Jesus curtly replied: "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." This is hardly the only Biblical passage where Christ's disquieting candor has often raised alarm.

Also found in St. Luke 18:19 and St. Matthew 19:17, this remarkable confession of character should directly inform any Christian's personal relationship with his spiritual intercessor, especially in times of blood-stained violence, blinding darkness and disarming despair. Within this discomfiting context, those having a different understanding of good and evil should only learn to fight their own battles accordingly. This could be spiritually achieved by first earnestly posing the right questions. When so many scars of war are borne only deep inside, what is the true purpose of a war never to bring us any long-lasting peace? By now the truth should have been self-evident. Peace was never meant for those who wage war. Even in eternity, warpaint almost never comes off. The worldly spoils of victory, once so intensely relished, may never again be enjoyed in the afterlife.

This difficult choice of embracing violence in defense of our values, interests and beliefs generally bears eternal consequences for most of the warriors involved. If still in doubt, just ask the Templars. The Christian religion is not one where killing is cavalierly done with self-serving impunity, something spiritually outlawed by the sixth of the Ten Commandments. As expressely stated in Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17, Mosaic law inequivocally stands in the way of murder. Comforting as this may be, it should not imply that the taking of a human life is expressely forbidden at all times. Those most concerned with divine justice usually refer to the justifiable taking of a human life as a righteous kill, something the Old Testament is clearly rife with. In Exodus 2:11-15, Moses went so far as to kill an Egyptian while defending a fellow Jew who was being severely beaten.

Amid a delicate situation where corporal punishment seemed entirely uncalled for, Moses took a life to save a life. Although this was the only biblical instance where he literally killed someone with his own hands, there would be other times during the Exodus to Israel where Moses also acted as the highest spiritual leader and supreme commander of Jewish military forces, ordering his men into battle whenever needed to defend his people. Let it be clearly known that Moses was by no means inimical to warfare when the survival and protracted freedom of the Jewish people was at stake, especially after being delivered from centuries of captivity and slavery in Egypt. Although he generally delegated armed combat to generals like Joshua, Moses was not beyond devising the overarching strategies used in battle. He would also oversee military engagements from high ground while interceding before God to plead for victory.

Bearing in mind many other biblical precedents, a plethora of Jewish monarchs would also later spill blood in defense of their brethren. In fact, there is ample biblical evidence to suggest that God even fought alongside the Jewish people while later defending the Kingdom of Israel. The legendary military exploits of King David serve only as an emblematic example of the many wars waged in defense of the nation of Israel, always counting with the express support of the Lord himself. In Psalm 144:1-2, King David faithfully rejoices: "Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge, who subdues people under me." As can be surmised from these sacred words, even God himself was a warrior in his own divine right. Never was he above killing when the protracted survival and well-being of his people desperately called for it.

In such a dangerous world, so disturbingly riven by injustice, the righteous use of deadly force was sometimes necessary in self-defense, lest the blood spilled should only be violently drained from our own veins. In other self-sacrifial instances later addressed in the New Testament, where the lives tragically taken should turn out to be our own, Jesus manifestly stated in St. John 15:13 that no greater act of love is there than laying down our lives for our friends. Especially during the most unforgiving times of war, heroic self-sacrifice should never be blindly ignored. The valorous sacrifice of one's own life in defense of another can certainly exculpate a warrior, vindicating the shedding of blood solely carried out for a good, honorable and justifiable reason. Although killing is generally outlawed, there are instances where the taking of a life is not only legally permissible but perhaps even spiritually advisable, a point we shall return to later on.

For the time being, suffice to say that the sheer taking of a life is not by itself a capital sin. While still alive, Christ went so far as to forgive all those who tortured and crucified him, arguing they knew not what they were doing. If this holds true in times of peace, should it not hold true in times of war? Just as not all men were created equal, not all deaths are simply one and the same. Sometimes just the true motivation of the killing can excuse a man from being held accountable for what would otherwise be a serious transgression of faith. While the application of Mosaic law in the Old Testament allows for the use of lethal force in self-defense, the Catholic understanding of the seven deadly sins further illuminates the specific instances where the true motivation of a killing may no longer be forgiven. Said differently, when one of the seven deadly sins is the veritable reason for the wanton taking of a life, rest assured that forgiveness is no longer possible.

Murdering a man or waging a war out of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath or sloth is most certainly not defensible under any reasonable Catholic teaching, even if the taking of a life by itself is not necessarily an unforgivable sin. It should also be duly noted that what holds true in times of peace also holds true in times of war. Divine law does not necessarily modulate simply because a man finds himself in a position to kill while defending his country's many aggrieved interests. Many are the victims of friendly fire who die, not at the hands of their express enemies, but at the hands of their own allies. While some of this self-inflicted violence may at times be accidental, it may also be caused by deliberate acts of envy, lust, gluttony, wrath and so on. Given that sin has a way of making us enemies of us all, danger seems to sprout from every side for those who wage war.

So what must a responsible leader first tell his men before going off into battle, especially when the difficult decision to wage war seems forced upon an entire nation? Shortly before deploying to Vietnam, Lt. Col. Hal Moore did not mince words. While solemnly addressing those under his command he was ferociously concise and clear: "They say we are leaving home, but I say we are going where home was always supposed to be." He wasn't kidding around. Joining any military unit usually implies a wholehearted embrace of violence often bearing eternal consequences for most of the warriors involved. All chauvinistic jingoism aside, this inconvenient truth should not be sugarcoated solely for mass consumption, especially given the searing and brutal realities of war, not to mention of eternal damnation itself. This is all the more reason why a man should be particularly careful when condoning and supporting a declaration of war.

Never to simply argue he knew not what he was doing, sheer ignorance by itself does not excuse a man from answering before God for his participation in war. Appalled as Christ must always be by any unfounded display of violence, there are times when the use of military force may be defensibly called upon. Always the inveterate pacifist, Christ long ago decided to forego the use of violence and military force in conflict resolution. Although this may initially seem to stray from Old Testament law, Christ adamantly rejects this possibility in St. Matthew 5:17-18: "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until Heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." The New Testament preoccupation with peace does not entirely negate the Old Testament support for war.

So while a passionate embrace of pacifism and non-violence comprises the general spiritual rule under Christ, the use of force in self-defense is still supported by Old Testament law, a verity always worth remembering. With the possible exception of the Book of Revelation, never in the Bible does Christ personally advocate the use of violence, going so far as to state in St. Matthew 5:38-41: "You have heard what is said, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other one also." But pacifist as Christ has always been, never did he promise to end all wars with only his first coming into this world. When dialogue breaks down and diplomacy fails, even Christian nations may occasionally feel the urge to wage war in self-defense, striving to protect all we love most from enemies that no longer merit our consideration.

This is the moment of truth when a believer must bravely act like the first guardian of all he loves and cherishes most. While lies may convince a man to support an armed conflict, the responsibility of making a spiritually informed decision ultimately rests with his own understanding of the truth. If a man is not the primary guardian of his own heart, mind, body and soul, always through the faithfully observant exercise of his free will, who will assume this vital responsibility? Considering his will be the life on the line, this seems particularly important. Always remember that a fateful bullet can sometimes take even the most fearless and combative of warriors to the darkest places of torment, merciless realms of pain from where there is absolutely spiritual release. Many are the fallen warriors who are forced to call the battlefield their eternal home, if not their final resting place.

This is the seemingly eternal destination some of the most spiritually inclined have come to refer to simply as Hell. Although abandoning all hope is hardly the most welcoming of advices, particularly to the condemned entering this spiritual abode of eternal damnation, being always faithful to your closest friends also implies being completely truthful about your shared destiny and spiritual plight. For this reason alone, a clear disclaimer now seems in exigent order. Those going off to war who are willing to die for their country should first make peace with their own spiritual beliefs. That only in death should some ever find the true meaning of life is a tragedy worth avoiding. Before asking others to be brave, always remind them that courage and self-sacrifice are usually inextricably related. An untimely death can always cost even the bravest of men much more than they alone could ever possibly bear.

Even if the deadliest of wars can often teach us some of the most consequential life lessons a warrior can ever learn, there is always an extortionate price paid for this education. Believing that those who want peace must first prepare for war always implies a personal sacrifice presumably made for the greater good. Although attaining a stable and long-lasting peace may be the supreme victory in war, this is often achieved at the spiritual expense of the warriors involved. Asking a fellow brother and zealous compatriot to sustain debilitating injuries and even possibly lay down his life for his country should never be a request ever so lightly made. If war has long been the continuation of politics through different means, a clear limit should always be imposed on what it seeks to accomplish. The physical, emotional, and spiritual tolls adamantly imposed on the warriors concerned should never be wantonly dismissed.

For many, past wars have already followed them home, torturing their families and persecuting battle-scarred veterans even in their wounded dreams. Though great bravery may be called upon to pick up a sword, greater bravery still may be required to forever lay it down. Since the peace that comes to some may never come to all, the spirituality of war is certainly something to keep in mind. Though every journey has a final destination, may we always be mindful of the roads we choose. Some of them lead us only to accursed battlefields entirely undeserving of becoming our final homes. Why some men are asked to die for their beliefs while others are only destined to live by them is a matter that still invites deeper consideration. Since the path of the righteous man is always set by the true nature of his creed, only his most sacred beliefs should light his way as he ventures forth to face a seemingly insurmountable darkness.

Those who subscribe to a religion whose two most important commandments are solely based on love should know better than to surrender themselves to a rage filled life of irascible brutality and violent death. Although waging war may sometimes be the only way to defend all we love most in life, the many sacrifices borne by those who do must never be cursorily ignored. While for many the war may never end, eternal peace comes only to the brave and fortunate few, beloved ones whose souls were saved by the faith they had, the life they led and the reasons they bled. In this respect, the twilight of war may very well be the twilight of time itself. For as long as the celestial war between light and darkness is fought within our hearts, nations will always battle each other and men will always feel compelled to sacrifice their lives accordingly.

War veterans who paid the ultimate price for serving their countries with unspeakable valor and exemplary distinction asked me long ago to share my thoughts on this potentially controversial topic, hoping to warn future generations of the spiritual price eventually payable for their military service. Those of us who have honorably crossed to the other side on more than one occasion feel obligated to report the truth regarding our shared experience. As stated in St. Matthew 8:5-13, although the greatest faith Christ ever witnessed in all of Israel was that of a Roman centurion, this was never due to the warrior's service record and military exploits. Little would be left to worship God if our minds, hearts, bodies, souls and strength were all consumed by war. Let it be known that the most tragic of all sacrifices is the one always made with ample prior knowledge of what is truly being forsaken.

So when a dream becomes a nightmare, it's long past time we should finally wake up. Although Christ commands us all to love our enemies, praying for those who persecute us and perhaps even sacrificing our lives for pacifism, there comes a turning point where the use of deadly force in self-defense should at least be a lawfully permissible spiritual option. While the original purpose of loving our enemies is to presumably convert them into fellow allies and fraternal believers, there comes a time when no amount of wasted effort, spiritual energy and self-sacrifice may ever suffice in this regard. This is when a righteous case should be made for waging a just war. Sometimes by loving our enemies, we only inevitably stand to become our own. In dangerous times, where our own protracted survival may be unjustly jeopardized, we must obliterate our enemies so as to ourselves remain always true.

Remember that the love for those close to us, as ourserlves, is the second most important Biblical commandment, at least when properly translated into English. Defending this love from marauding attackers should only be a spiritual obligation of the most sacred kind. Although the love for our enemies is a spiritual teaching largely arising from the Sermon on the Mount, it should in no way take precedence over the two most important commandments of the Bible, rightfully giving way during moments of a just war. Warriors who shed blood in defense of their loved ones as of themselves, must not be held forever accountable before the seemingly limitless standards set forward by the Sermon on the Mount. Failure to do so would simply lead to the needless martyrdom of many unjustly aggrieved parties, those who should at least be granted the right to fight for survival.

While Christ explicitly commanded his followers to bear our crosses and follow his, how many times are we supposed to be brutally crucified? Would this be the most appropriate teaching for whole countries? If so, myriad nations populated by otherwise halcyon believers would inevitably follow the lead of the Roman Empire, being invaded, pillaged, raped, subjugated and obliterated by marauding barbarian hordes. Though never to underestimate the true meaning of divine grace and celestial providence, only at our own peril should we disconsider the importance of rational self-defense. This is as true of post-modern nations as it has always been of individuals. On a personal level, any deadly force used in self-defense would also presumably stray from the Sermon on the Mount, albeit not from the concept of waging a just war.

Those who think this entire discussion offends rational common sense would be well advised to consider that some of us would much rather take our respective spiritual lives seriously. This is particularly true for those presently facing the lingering possibility of an imminent death in combat. As first stated in World War I, there are certainly no atheists in foxholes. When Death is free to take away from this plane of existence even our bravest and most valorous warriors, never should it be treated with sophomoric disdain. Having tasted of death and experienced what lies beyond, war came to find me at home long before I could ever venture forth to fully embrace it overseas. How despondent could some of us be while reporting how difficult spiritual salvation has tragically become these days. The more one receives in life, the more one has to account for in the afterlife.

Always remember that the values of this world pale in comparison to those spiritually enforced on the other side of life. Death can render even the richest of men a pauper, just as it can remarkably enrich the most seemingly destitute of believers. If eternity in Heaven is a dream always close to your heart, especially in troubling times of war, there is a precious life lesson never to forget. Always believe in your dearest dreams because your bleakest nightmares have also been known to come true. These humble words are dedicated to the deceased veterans who originally asked for them. Though once in combat fallen, never were they truly forgotten. May their surviving family members be proud of their service and hopeful that none of them ever proved to be heavier than Heaven. If even God once had to fight like a warrior for the sake of his people, it only stands to reason that some of his children would also do the same.

Though not every man can always pick the reason for which he lives, most warriors should at least choose the reason for which they die. May their sacrifices be duly noted and divinely judged according to the standards applicable to those who loved others more than they ever did themselves. Bravery and valor sometimes speak a language only properly understood by those already having tasted of death and experienced a semblance of what lies beyond. For this reason, the greatest mystery in life should not forever be death itself. When duly fulfilled, the dream of spiritual salvation shall lead us only to a halcyon eternal life, the final victory in the war to end all wars, the final victory of Heaven against Hell. Though many would have us believe this was achieved at the cross more than two thousand years ago, innocent blood is still being spilled today.

While the battle of Armageddon has yet to be fought to its apocalyptic conclusion, the titanic war of Good versus Evil continues to be waged in the hearts of all men, both in times of peace and in times of conflict. Arming ourselves with the myriad spiritual weapons at our disposal, the illuminating word of God should faithfully guide our most sincere choices, words and actions. Only those always mindful of the spiritual meaning of war can truly understand the divine significance of peace. Always united against Evil, may we not be fools to wage war on our brothers in arms. Veering away from a treacherous road leading only towards self-destruction, let us tread the courageous path leading solely towards a victorious and apotheotic redemption. While the powerful may brazenly object to this newfound humility, indisputable is the evidence that power brings seduction, the path of blind arrogance leads only to self-destruction.

Brothers In Arms

"These mist covered mountains

Are a home now for me

But my home is the lowlands

And always will be

Some day you'll return to

Your valleys and your farms

And you'll no longer burn

To be brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction

Baptisms of fire

I've witnessed your suffering

As the battle raged high

And though they did hurt me so bad

In the fear and alarm

You did not desert me

My brothers in arms

There's so many different worlds

So many different suns

And we have just one world

But we live in different ones

Now the sun's gone to hell

And the moon riding high

Let me bid you farewell

Every man has to die

But it's written in the starlight

And every line in your palm

We're fools to make war

On our brothers in arms"