Would Jesus Bomb Syria?

Well here we go again.

After—what is it?--twelve years of seemingly unending and at times pointless armed conflict, the US is once again contemplating military action. The obscene and catastrophic civil war in Syria has produced a new horror—the use of a chemical agent by the Syrian government against her own people. Bashir Al-Assad, in violation of international agreement (the Geneva Protocols of 1925), has, it seems, murdered over 1,400 of his own citizens because they have violently rejected his ruthless control of their nation.

So what are we to do about this?

President Obama is prepared to take military action to punish the Syrian government and its military for what is pretty clearly a crime against humanity as well as a dangerous and threatening violation of international law. Pope Francis is urging restraint and diplomacy, arguing that any further escalation of hostilities will only cause more suffering for the people of Syria—Christians and Muslims alike.

Now, we could take the Pope's advice and back off. We could engage Syria's neighbors and the other power players in this insane spectacle and try and see if we can come up with some kind of negotiated solution to the ongoing violence. This might mean offering Al-Assad (who is probably a war criminal in addition to being a consummate s.o.b) a face-saving way to depart his country and live in luxurious exile the rest of his days. It would also mean giving a green light to the next power-mad despot who wants to murder his own people and face no consequences from the community of nations. Could we do this in good conscience?

What does Jesus say?

“You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also...” (Matthew 5:38-9)

Martin Luther took a rather unique view of Jesus' exhortation, however. In his 1523 essay on Temporal Authority Luther wrote:

“Although you do not need to have your enemy punished, your afflicted neighbor does. You should help him that he may have peace and that his enemy may be curbed, but this is not possible unless the governing authority is honored and feared.”

Of course, the above begs the question: Who is the governing authority? Is the United States the “Policeman of the World?”

Honestly, I don't know the answer. How can Christians, in this situation, do both justice and mercy? At the risk of losing my Lutheran Card, I think I have to go with the Pope on this one. For my own part, I would rather see a villain escape than the innocent suffer. And too many innocents are suffering as it is.

One fact is unambiguous in this conflict: over two million Syrians have become refugees since the start of this mess, and over a third of the people of that nation are now in some way dispossessed. This became real to me when I met “Joe,” the Syrian guy who runs a shop in the strip mall next to my church. He tells me two of his daughters are still in Syria, and God knows what has become of them. I can't look at that man or even think of him without wondering what kind of pain he must be suffering. And I can't even begin to guess at what it must be like to be a refugee, to lose home, job, and identity and fight daily for mere survival.

All I know is that it is time for Christians to be Christians. Jesus commands us to welcome the stranger, and this applies even if the stranger is in a camp somewhere in Jordan or Turkey. Okay. I'm not suggesting we all quit our jobs and volunteer to be refugee aid workers. But in the face of this humanitarian catastrophe, we can at least redouble our efforts to support our denominational aid agencies. Lutheran World Relief is providing comfort kits, hygiene materials, and bedding to those in the resettlement areas. Pray for peace, my friends, and do what you can. It may not be much, but it's better than nothing.