A Reflection on the War in Iran

I want to invite reflection and a call to action in this moment as our nation launches military strikes in Iran.

Many Americans have a very complicated relationship with the American military complex. That is because so many sign up for service as a way to serve their country and community and as a pathway to college and out of financial difficulty. Military service, for many, is both an act of patriotism and an economic necessity.

While our relationship to military service is complicated, our relationship to war, however, is less complicated.

When we heard that our country had launched missiles into Iran, we began to worry aloud about what this will mean for all of us. Some have worried about whether this is the start of World War III. There is admittedly some hyperbole in that language, but suffice it to say that military families and civilians are worried in similar fashions.

We are worried because war always comes with great loss of life.

As people of faith, we hold the view that human life is sacred.

We are worried because the man who now sits in the White House has a penchant for violence, fomentation, and disregarding many of the usual rules that govern international policy.

We are worried because so many of us have people and loved ones who are duty-bound to serve in the military.

Some are also worried because the rationale for these strikes sounds eerily familiar to the one offered for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 under the pretense of weapons of mass destruction, which we now know was a national lie.

So with all this worry, what are we, people of faith and goodwill, to do and say?

For that, we turn to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” It is true that living in that invitation feels more accomplishable in interpersonal relationships. But as a nation that calls itself Christian, and one where, just the other night during the State of the Union, the president ended with the sacred words “God bless America,” we have got to take up Jesus’ invitation to love our enemies.

That invitation calls for a different way to approach global conflict. It invites a sacred approach to how we, as a Christian nation, deploy our military might.

As people of faith and goodwill, it is our duty to remind our nation of its Christian identity and to sound the sacred alarm that God’s blessing also comes with sacred responsibility.

If God is indeed to bless America, it is not to be a force of terror and destruction.
If God is indeed to bless America, it is not to send young people into war for dishonest and illegitimate causes.
If God is indeed to bless America, it is not to bully other peoples and countries because their power threatens ours.

As people of faith, we are posted at the watchtower, and we must sound the alarm when our national politics and actions begin to stray from our highest values.

These strikes in Iran beg many questions. We must be vigilant. We must condemn injustice. We must use our pulpits, position, and power to interrupt national actions and agendas when they violate that great love ethic.

It is not easy. But that is the call.

A Call to Action

The Community Renewal Society team sees this as a moment to support our congregations and leaders. 

We stand ready to provide: 

• Devotional reflections for use in worship and small groups 

• Support in organizing a teach-in for your congregation or community

• Partnership with those who would like to support plans for actions and protests 

Follow along on Instagram and Facebook, or sign up here if you are interested in receiving resources or partnering in this moment. 

With Love ..., 

Keron Blair
Interim Executive Director

And the staff of Community Renewal Society