Fellow Christians don't get message

By Michael Ross; Hawley, Minn.

Published Monday, December 22, 2008

As a conservative Bible-believing Christian, I have long watched in horror and disbelief as my fellow Christians who claim to worship the Prince of Peace, cheer, wave the flag, celebrate and sing "God Bless America" while defenseless innocents in Iraq and elsewhere are bombed, murdered, maimed, tortured, malnourished, radiated and otherwise poisoned.

How can they of all people be so callous? Christ has answered this for us in Matthew 24:12: "Because of iniquity abound the love of many shall wax cold." The word for love here is "agape," that is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts for the world.

Even if these wars were justified, the New Testament exhorts Christians to "weep with those who weep" and not to be proud, arrogant, boastful or indifferent.

At this time of "good will" that promises "great joy to all men" could we, as individuals, families and churches, remember those on whom our military has inflicted indescribable suffering? I have never been in a church where a single prayer has been offered for the people of Iraq or Afghanistan. Have you?

At this time when we "honor" Christ at his birth by going hopelessly into debt, spending money we don’t have, buying people things they don't need, and instilling in our children that it's "all about me," perhaps we could remember the families of the 1.5 million Iraqis and Afghans that have perished, or 4 million made homeless since 2003.

Would it not honor the Christ who declared: "If you have done it unto the least of these, my brothers, you have done it unto me?"