Troop Surge... Applied Pressure

The congress has voted to not support the president's plan for more troops in Iraq. Apparently it is nonbinding and doesn't really mean much. However; I think it is important as a thermometer for where we are in the process. Before I launch into my topic today, let me explain that I understand that war causes the loss of human lives. It is evident from the first moment of aggression recorded on earth between Cain and Able, that killing is the outpouring of what is in the human heart. In contrast, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob sent Israel to war for different reasons. There in lies the dichotomy of God's plan for mankind, the human race and the future of the earth. God is sovereign and doesn't make mistakes. Therefore; I assume that war is necessary in some cases.

When people receive wounds that cause a lot of bleeding, we apply a tourniquet and pressure to slow the bleeding so that the healing process can begin. Having lived through the Vietnam war, I always thought we should have sent enough troops to do the job. We were there, right or wrong, and we had troops on the ground. They were there in insufficient numbers to finish the job. I am honestly ashamed that neighbors and friends served this country, some dying for the cause, for no apparent reason. The aftermath was horrible in both Vietnam and Cambodia. I have a friend from Cambodia, he is incredibly angry about the mass slaughter that took the lives of a million plus citizens. And worse, our brave men and woman were never received properly when they returned home. Let me take this next line to thank them for their sacrifice. Thank you.

It appears that we are doing it again. We are not sending enough power to get the job done. In the Vietnam war they told us that we didn't want to anger Russia into a nuclear conflict. So, we were out gunned in the war and wasted US lives. Who are we worried about this time? Why don't we just get the job done? For those who say we never should have gone in, it is simply to late for that kind of thinking. And Saddam, the killer is out of office for good this time.

What concerns me is that we won't finish the job and we'll see a wholesale slaughter when we leave. Vietnam the sequel. I don't have an answer except to apply enough pressure to stop the bleeding. At this point, in the end I believe that it will save lives; precious lives.

So, what is the Spiritual implication of all this? We do that same thing in church. We dip ourselves once a week for an hour or two and maybe catch a home-group, but many of us, myself included, are not applying enough pressure to stop the bleeding... we have a hard time trying to change. The war goes on around us even if we switch the channel, but it is still there. The dying is still going on in us... sin leads to death. I think about the decisions I have put off in my life. Some of those issues are still with me. In many ways I have bleed, and I looked for help but in some cases it did not come. In the end, I can't really blame anyone but me, for I am the one holding the tourniquet.