Happy Easter to all of you from the Brikho Household! He has risen!
If Jesus walked on Earth today what would he think about the United States of America? Would he like what we are about? Would he like our laws? Would he approve of our government?
In certain situations the answer is “Yes”! I think the Lord to this day approves of our freedom of religion. We are created with the freedom to choose to believe. Our federal government allows us the freedom of choice in whether or not to believe in him, as well as how to worship him. As an example, Americans, especially here in Metro Detroit, can observe Easter with either the Eastern or Western calendar. There are many different expressions of the Christian faith and our country is blessed with an acceptance of all of these interpretations of The Resurrection.
On the other hand, I doubt that Jesus would approve of our interventions into foreign wars. Christianity is a religion of peace. The United States’ involvement in the Viet Nam War was a disaster. I am saying this not as a disrespect to the soldiers who were drafted and fought the war, but to the politicians and the deep state bureaucrats who made the decision to send Americans to die for no good reason.
With World War One, a Democrat President sent American troops to fight a war in Europe and prop up the Allied Powers. Our support of Great Britain and France allowed those two nations to dictate postwar settlements and territorial carve-outs in the Middle East. We are still paying a terrible price for those decisions. The root cause of many of problems that we have seen in Iraq and Syria were only made possible by the enabling actions of the American government between 1917 and 1920. I cannot believe that Jesus would approve of our involvement in that war.
Recently, President Trump vetoed a resolution to stop the United States’ support for the Saudi-backed war in Yemen. I respect President Trump, but he is wrong on this issue. It was a resolution that received votes from Congressmen of both major political parties. It would have removed American armed forces from Yemen (with the continuing exception of actions specifically against al-Qaeda). His veto is very contrary to Christ’s teachings.
If we wish to call ourselves a Christian country and a Christian people then we have to stay away from these foreign wars and their entanglements. Jesus’ teachings of peace demand that we do better as a nation.
In Liberty,
George Brikho