THE UNITED STATES is now engaged in another war. This time with Iran. How might we break out of this horrendous cycle of violence and what moral guidance might we offer, especially as Christians? Predictably, the resort by Israel to a violent “defense” against Gaza in 2023, supported by the U.S., has now metastasized into another major escalation in the region, with Iran, Israel, and the U.S. each claiming “legitimate defense.”
In the first few weeks of lethal engagement this winter, at least 1,230 people were killed in Iran, including more than 100 children at a girls’ primary school after an illegal U.S. air strike. Deaths in Lebanon and Israel continued to rise. The war spread across at least 13 countries in the Middle East. Each destroyed home, livelihood, and life increases the bitterness, trauma, and threat. Destroying military equipment, nuclear sites, or killing key leaders does not address root causes of injustice nor the unmet needs behind perceived or real threats.
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