There is much that can be said about the catastrophic war in Iran right now but, from a faith perspective, I’d like to lift up one important aspect.

Since the onset of the war, numerous U.S. military personal have complained about their commanding officers characterizing the war in stark, extremist, biblical terms.  The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) says it has received more than 200 complaints from service members across all branches of the armed forces, including the marines, air force and space force.

According to reports, one Non-Commissioned Officer alleges that their commander had “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ”.

The complainant added: “He said that ‘President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth’”.

Other complainants “report the unrestricted euphoria of their commanders” who perceive a “biblically-sanctioned war that is clearly the undeniable sign of the expeditious approach of the fundamentalist Christian End Times”.

This level of Christian nationalism within the military is frightening to say the least.  The idea the Jesus, the Prince of Peace, would be the catalyst for executing a war is so far removed from our understanding of the Christian faith that it is beyond comprehension.  In fact, it begs the question: when does Christian language, theology, and biblical interpretation cease to be Christian?  Where is that line? 

There is no doubt that the umbrella of Christianity can accommodate a diversity of beliefs and traditions.  What is outside of that umbrella?  It seems to me that the litmus test, if there is one, is proclaiming a “Christian” faith that is founded on hate and domination; a faith in which a political ideology comes before the words of Jesus and requires twisting those words to fit that ideology.

There are many ways to interpret the life and ministry of Jesus, but there is no escaping the fact that his ministry was revolutionary because it proposed a way other than revenge and violence.  That was foundational to him.  To use his name to excitedly proclaim the opposite will only lead to the chaos and destruction we see unfolding now.

See you in church,

–Rev. Dominic