Should Christians Advocate for Bombing?
Is it really without hope, or are extremists somehow redeemable?
I talked recently with Dr. Fares Abraham on his podcast about extremism and terrorism, revenge responses advocated by some Christians and the mission of the church in a hostile world. In light of current events in the Middle East, bombing and missiles seem to be the agreed upon solution to dealing with extremists. Many people of faith support such violence. But, is seeking for answers to questions on the limits and use of violence ones Christians should be asking?
We often hear in evangelical circles this phrase: “to be the hands and feet of Jesus.” This is a very helpful way of conceptualizing what the church does in joining God on his mission to redeem, reconcile and restore the whole earth. It's his mission to begin with. The church has certain directives that we’re to love our enemies, love our neighbors, love God, walk with him, disciple and reach the nations… and how do we do that? Is it by advocating for dropping bombs?
I’ve written before how, given the apparent absolute power of states and nations, we are tempted to view the world through this primary lens and think only in the ‘logic of the state.’ Government is a good gift appointed by God to maintain order, justice and flourishing. It bears the sword and has a duty. We are to submit to authorities (Rom 13, 1Pet 2:13) to the point that they do not require disobedience to God (Acts 5:29). Christians ought to be cautious: government is not always righteous, in fact, frequently government is out of step with God and subject to judgement. There is a unique obsession with news and politics, YouTube pundits and rage entrepreneurs among Christians that borders on an idolatry of the state. And it gets syncretized with the Kingdom.
Jesus constantly pointed his disciples to think different. “My Kingdom is not of this world… You have heard it said, but I say to you… Give to Cesar what is Caesars and to God what is God’s.” Jesus emphasized there is a higher reality, one that requires primary allegiance for his followers: his Kingdom. And, this kingdom, we are told, is where “they will learn the ways of war no more” and “nation shall not lift up sword against nation” and “they shall beat their swords into plowshares” and “lions will lay with lambs” (Micah 4, Is 2:4). Government and politics are not the primary lens for Christians. Bombs, missiles and guns are not the instruments and means of Jesus’ kingdom.
James and John and the disciples struggled with this, and they were Jesus’ closest friends. It's fascinating to think of these sons of Zebedee, they walked with Jesus and heard him teach, saw how he treated people. Then some Samaritans were hostile to Jesus and they wanted to call down Hellfire and brimstone. The loyalty is admirable, but Jesus rebuked them sharply and said, “that's not the way this works.” That's not the way the Kingdom operates. He communicated that we're not like earthly kingdoms, violence and revenge are not in our vocabulary.
So, let’s be clear, violence, hostility, advocating for the elimination of anyone, even terrorists, is out of line with the gospel, and with the mission and Kingdom of Jesus. That is the language of the state, of empire. Look at the things Jesus did himself. He fed and healed people, he preached the gospel and he made disciples. So if we're not doing those same things then there's something off about our mission because it's not our mission, it's God's mission. We join God and Jesus demonstrated what that was supposed to look like.
Additionally, as I’ve written previously, revenge, retributive responses, tough militaristic responses have been studied and found wanting. They just produce more angst, anger, extremism and terror. Bombs beget more bombs.
There's can be such creativity involved in mission, so many things from medicine to hydroponics can demonstrate love, meet practical needs and open doors to share the hope of the gospel. We've got to balance that the practical needs with the spiritual and emotional needs of belonging and community in real places, in time and space. And the worldview we construct to make sense of the world, conceptualize the Kingdom of God and the hope of final restoration has to resonate and have some plausibility to it.
Many Christians can’t tell what lens their looking through… they see the world through the lens of the state, just war theory, politics, national defense. The logic is all backwards… many think the only language that bad guys listen to is strength. But the lens and logic of the Kingdom is far different, and this is supposed to be, for the Christian, the primary lens. Distinguishing between these ‘two kingdoms’ as Martin Luther called them, is super important.
If we just say we believe in Jesus, this exalted king who came to the earth incarnate, died for our sins, was buried and rose again.. and that's all we do… or worse… if we say these lofty things and then advocate for the destruction of other human beings... there is a deep dissonance. And if we just go on to live our life and lock our doors and isolate ourselves and we're not deeply involved in the needs around us the message is inconsistent, it doesn't make sense. But if we live our life in such a way, like Jesus taught us, according to citizenship in the Kingdom, and we speak about that hope of eternal life and live out the mission of God in a congruous way, its compelling and contagious.
One of the repeated phrases that came out of my research and all the stories of the different people that that I interviewed was surprising kindness. They were surprised by the kindness of Christians. They thought they were enemies. They thought they hated them too, that that feeling of hatred was mutual. But they saw through actions of mercy and were surprised by kindness and love. And then they were welcomed into a family of belonging. Many of them described their new Christian friends as family. So, if this unbelievable transformation can happen to this group of people from such an extreme background, then no one is without hope.
Yes, Jesus taught love for others, but there are plenty of instances where God destroyed cities.
Leviticus 26:31 I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas.
Ezekiel 35:4 “I will lay waste your cities
And you will become a desolation.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Micah 5:14 “I will root out your Asherim from among you
And destroy your cities.
Numbers 21:2-3
So Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” The Lord heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites; then they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called Hormah.
Micah 5:11 “I will also cut off the cities of your land
And tear down all your fortifications.
Ezekiel 6:6 In all your dwellings, cities will become waste and the high places will be desolate, that your altars may become waste and desolate, your idols may be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be blotted out.
Jeremiah 48:8 “A destroyer will come to every city,
So that no city will escape;
The valley also will be ruined
And the plateau will be destroyed,
As the Lord has said.
Jeremiah 5:17 “They will devour your harvest and your food;
They will devour your sons and your daughters;
They will devour your flocks and your herds;
They will devour your vines and your fig trees;
They will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust.
Isaiah 26:5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city;
He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
Isaiah 32:19 And it will hail when the forest comes down,
And the city will be utterly laid low.
Ezekiel 12:20 The inhabited cities will be laid waste and the land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the Lord.”’”
Isaiah 6:11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered,
“Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,
Zephaniah 3:6 “I have cut off nations;
Their corner towers are in ruins.
I have made their streets desolate,
With no one passing by;
Their cities are laid waste,
Without a man, without an inhabitant.
Isaiah 25:2 For You have made a city into a heap,
A fortified city into a ruin;
A palace of strangers is a city no more,
It will never be rebuilt.
Jeremiah 2:15 The young lions have roared at him,
They have roared loudly.
And they have made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
Jeremiah 4:26 I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the Lord, before His fierce anger.
Isaiah 37:26 “Have you not heard?
Long ago I did it,
From ancient times I planned it.
Now I have brought it to pass,
That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
Ezekiel 19:7 ‘He destroyed their fortified towers
And laid waste their cities;
And the land and its fullness were appalled
Because of the sound of his roaring.
Genesis 13:10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.
Genesis 18:24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?
2 Peter 2:6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter;
Genesis 19:29 Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
Genesis 19:15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.”
Numbers 31:10 Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps with fire.
Deuteronomy 3:6 We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city.
I personally prefer that no bombs or missiles are ever used that result in lost lives or destruction of property, however, some times it may be necessary to prevent further loss of lives.