This week marks 80 years since atom bombs devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to the end of World War II and ushering in the awesome power of nuclear weapons.
Nuclear energy now mainly focuses on producing electricity and enabling medical research and procedures, though nuclear weapons are still being refined, tested and added to national arsenals.
Peacetime recovery saw previous enemies working together; repairing the wreckage; building trade partnerships; and enabling students to learn new languages by choice instead of by military force.
And in what would once have been unthinkable, Australia’s navy will soon include Japanese-built vessels.
Eighty years of world peace has faced constant disruption: wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Middle East; Northern Ireland troubles; guerrilla outbursts in Africa, Central and South America; genocidal massacres in Rwanda and Kampuchea; the Soviet Union’s collapse; and political disputes, revolutions, anarchy and rigid military rule continue to corrode our international cooperation.
Conflicts in democracies may be more civilised, even as political gaps widen and social unrest seems to focus more on fixing blame than on fixing problems.
Despite all this past, present and potential conflict, Jesus’ invitation is to “love your enemies”, for he knows how love outlasts hate and fear. He also loves our enemies.
This love showed when he included Matthew and Simon among his disciples.
Matthew was a Roman tax agent, and Simon was sworn to kill any Roman collaborators.
Yet Jesus’ grace drew them together in mutual respect and trust as they explored and shared his deepest grace and truths.
It is a tough call and quite risky if we try to restrict God to our political preferences.
Yet Jesus had no such preferences, and he took the risk of dying so he could come back again to prove the power of his love.
Threats will keep coming, often without warning, and defending ourselves is important, but without vindictiveness poisoning any plans for victory.
History constantly shows the fickleness of politics, while love constantly works toward long-term outcomes for everyone – for even those who have been faith’s strongest supporters have previously been its strongest opponents.
Christianity has always been most effective when it has had the least political power or influence.
That is because its strength comes from love and trust, with generosity that wants us all to defeat whatever holds us back personally, so we may reach our God-given potential by helping others along the way.
Noel Mitaxa
On behalf of a church near you, inviting you to explore God’s love
