Where are the peacemakers?

At the time of this writing, Russia, under the leadership of Putin, has invaded Ukraine and is reigning terror upon everyone living there. To their credit, the Ukrainians are putting up a gallant fight to both protect and to retain their homeland. Although Putin claims otherwise, this invasion has all of the earmarks of World War II and the expansion of the Hitler Empire. Whether it is the beginning of World War III is questionable.

Any kind of war these days is vastly different from those in the past. Soldiers in the past never had the sophisticated weapons currently available. Shooting a rifle or a machine gun is nothing compared with being able to hit a target with a missile fifty miles away. Sophisticated bombs target specific areas and people, and the skies are full of airplanes never even envisioned a few decades ago. With the right kind of weapon, getting rid of tanks is easy and getting rid of airplanes and combat troops is almost as easy. Add to this the use of cyber technology and you have a whole new outlook on warfare.

With over 250,000 troops armed with all kinds of weapons, Putin obviously thought he could overpower the Ukrainians with the magnitude of his forces and actually take over the country with little resistance. That has not been the case. Like most people today, I suspect that the vastly superior war power of Russia will subdue Ukraine, but it may not conquer its people. In the meantime, it appears Russia’s attack has solidified the Ukrainians and increased their resolve not to be conquered.

There are some things involved in this war that should not be ignored. For one thing, NATO has been powerless to actually become involved in the conflict, even in providing food and water to the Ukrainians. Yes, the actions its members have taken may indeed bring Russia back to its senses, but that is not actually fighting. The United States and NATO could easily block Russia’s war efforts, but their hands are tied. On the other hand, should Ukraine become a member of NATO, something that may happen within two or three weeks, this could radically change. Thus, if Russian wants to win this war, Putin knows it is imperative to win quickly.

Secondly, Russia clearly has escalated its attack beyond focusing upon combatants. It has now begun to focus upon civilians in an effort to intimidate the Ukrainian people. Yes, these may be considered “war crimes,” but they are difficult to prosecute. Killing thousands of innocent people in today’s world should never be tolerated.

Thirdly, it is significant that Putin has put his nuclear army on high alert. Why would he want to do this? Nuclear power has changed the shape of modern warfare. Should Russia utilize a nuclear weapon, surely the rest of the civilized world would retaliate and many of Russia’s cities would be destroyed almost immediately. Our world would quickly become a nuclear holocaust. No sane leader would risk such a confrontation.

Lastly, what is even more troubling are the thoughts and verbalizations of some people in the United States. Former President Trump has publicly announced his praise for Putin and his activities.

Several other members of our elected Congress also have voiced praise for Russia’s ambitions. It might be expected to hear some of these things from China or North Korea, but from our own citizens? This frankly is unacceptable! We Americans may have our differences of opinion about any number of things, but we desperately need to be united on the things that make for common decency and human life. Utilizing power to kill people for any reason is an abomination to God and an affront to all mankind.

Where are the peacemakers, the ones Jesus said shall be called the “children of God?” Where are the voices of sanity calling for unity instead of division? Where is the thread of humanity that unites all of us together rather than dividing us? It is unfortunate that there is so much division in our country that the voice of reason has almost disappeared. There are too many people willing to give covid to others with no sense of guilt, too many power politicians more concerned about consolidating power and control than the needs of American citizens, too many people who are convinced they are right and everyone else is wrong, and too many people who do not care for their neighbors either at home or abroad. Where is the pride that unites us as Americans instead of the ugly divisions that mark us as potential enemies?

••• Robert Box has been a law enforcement chaplain for 29 years. He is a master-level chaplain with the International Conference of Police Chaplains and is an endorsed chaplain with the American Baptist Churches USA. He also currently serves as a deputy sheriff chaplain for the Benton County Sheriff ’s Office. Opinions expressed in the article are the opinions of the author and not the agencies he serves.