SATURDAY, October 17 (Ignatius of Antioch)

I watchced the movie last evening about Deitric Bonhoffer and his involvement in the 2nd world war. He and the group he was involved in were making war on the war makers.
It would be wonderful if the world governments would share with one anothers countries because for sure there is enough in the world to go around for everyone.
But this lack of sharing is not about not having enough but rather about one government having power over and control of another government.
We must take the war were it belongs, in our own souls and minds and hearts. We must not make any other gods before the one true God.
We must not covet.
We must not make false accusations against our neighbour.
We must not murder.
We must not steal.
In other words, we must not seek power over others in an effort to control them.
We must make war against the evil nature in us and we must seek to expose it when we see it others and we must seek to irradicate it where we see power killing the weak and the vulverable. It would be wonderful to use the war of words, but sometimes words are not enough. Sometimes rescue is needed.
God is the venger of all the oppressed and outcast.
And sometimes we must make war against the war makers.
christine

"It's all about control. We don't have much of it, and we crave it."

Well, that is a true statement if I ever heard one! I have never seen a person yet who didn't want to or try to control in some way - whether overtly or covertly....it's the nature of us.

What's really cool is that when we give up control of our lives to God, He comes into our lives and gives us the fruit of the spirit which includes self-control and we get to be in control after all............but in a healthy way!

For me, my life has become more sane since I have learned what I am responsible to control and what I'm not responsible to control.

Thank You Lord that when I give you control, You give me the serenity to accept what I cannot change, the courage to change what I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen!

About war and warfighters: First, Santayana says, "Only the dead have seen the end of war." Jesus tells us we "shall hear of wars and rumors of war." Long ago as I weighed whether to go to West Point or Yale, I read all the Gospels, for what Jesus says to and about soldiers. Jesus never condemns or judges a soldier -- and Jesus certainly spoke frankly to many in the Gospels. He does say be content with your pay, to soldiers. He told the Centurion who said that he is set in authority and that Jesus can heal his servant, that the Centurion has great faith. Second, as Jesus, the OT, and CS Lewis remind us, Satan prowls this world. One of Satan's tools is to foment war., and that includes murdering our own kids and friends as on 9/11. Third, there is a Call in Faith to soldier. St Michael is the Warfighter's patron angel. With Yale went a full National Merit Scholarship. I went to West Point, and my class of 1966 graduated into the teeth of the Vietnam War. I am witness: the men in my class laid down their lives for each other, and for our country, and the wounded ones suffer still. I am blessed to be in their ranks. Fourth, is it churlish to point out that Islam is a frank heresy, named as heresy by our Church? If the Nicene Creed means anything, it means that there is such a thing as heresy. "Heresy" is not a fashionable term. But heresy is one of Ol' Nick's tricks, and the fight at the Gates of Vienna was real. We believe in a God who acts in history. We are warned of a Satan who acts in history. Ya could look it up +

If desire for control is the root of war, envy, self-loathing, and many,many more sins.

My constant battle for control over my family's life; my children, their schooling, meal times, clothing, my spouse, etc only serves to drive me farther from God.

When I consciously relinquish control of these daily issues, I feel closer to God and more fulfilled as a person. It makes room in my heart to appreciate more spiritual aspects of the world and God.

The material ones will be taken care of by Our Father. He cares for the birds, and so HE will care for us.

Thank you John Wheeler, for your service to God and our country. I believe God "helps those who help themselves." Your thoughtful consideration of West Point vs. Yale left the control with God. My personal failing is that all-too-often I cross the line from helping God control events to trying to control them myself. Christine's and Judy's comments echo my own personal belief--much evil comes from our desire to control others. There is much truth in the saying, "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."

War is not limited to humankind it touches even heaven, Satan brings war to heaven. I can not help God control any events; once I try I have taken control away from God.
My focus is to make the people of any war real to the world. My prayers focus on ALL of them.