I have mixed feeling about the war in Iran. On the one hand, it is terrifying to think of Iran having nuclear weapons with a naval fleet or submarines capable of delivering annihilation to any city in the United States. Europe is under particular threat which may explain the reluctance of Spain and the U.K. to get involved. Is their anti-U.S. talk designed to protect them from retaliation considering their proximity to the conflict? Somehow I doubt that carries much weight with fanatical terrorists!
Decades of dealing with terrorism, from what can only be called a rogue nation, should give every critic of the war pause. How secure would you and your family be seeing Iran with nuclear bombs capable of hitting New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, or any other target in the U.S.? Of course, some are bringing up the threat of terror cells working in the U.S. Most aren't reminding us that many of those terrorists came in through our southern border with the enthusiasm of the Democrats. Joe Biden, Kamala, Harris and the Democrats in Congress will own any terrorist acts resulting from the Iran conflict.
I can't help thinking of the 1959 apocalyptic film, On the Beach. I saw it as a tween when we were deep into the cold war and practiced bomb drills climbing under our desks (as if that would save anyone from a nuclear attack). I think I'll re-watch the film, although its depiction of the results of nuclear fallout are exaggerated and inspire fear and despair. But it's worth considering the impact of fanatical leaders having their fingers on the bomb launch. What would a post nuclear holocaust world look like?
The cold war and the recent devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, inspired many dystopian holocaust novels during the 50s and early 60s: Alas Babylon, Fail-Safe, The Martian Chronicles, A Canticle for Leibowitz, etc. I personally recommend A Canticle for Leibowitz which is very Catholic in its depiction of life after nuclear war, beginning with a return to Middle Age monastic life preserving learning. In contrast to On the Beach, Canticle, while bleak, offers hope. It's considered a work of science fiction, but when I read it I constantly found myself meditating on its message. It's a book about faith, temptation, sin, hope, man's hubris, etc., all topics for serious meditation.
As the video narrator above points out, the book speaks to universal truths which would make it a good book to read during Lent if you want a work of fiction along with your spiritual reading. This book, it seems to me, is a bridge between church and culture showing the tragic tendency of mankind to choose the same sins and make the same mistakes over and over.
The question right now is will the attack on Iran result in making the world safer? How about holier? That's a question most will never ask. Many Iranians are dancing in the streets, rejoicing at the downfall of a regime that murdered thirty thousand of its own people. But it's difficult to predict what will happen next. Will the final situation be like the man in the Gospel who has an unclean spirit driven out only to have it return with seven devils more wicked than itself? [Matthew 12:45] Will the end result of the war make the global situation exponentially worse? Let us pray not.
War is always an evil. But sometimes it is a necessary one. Remember Lepanto and the crusades which saved Europe from Islamization. Sad to say, Islam is winning through infiltration and fertility what they could not win through military conquest. That's a subject for another post.
Let us pray for President Trump and our military and political leaders. Regardless of your position on the war, that is something we all should be doing.
Jesus, Prince of Peace, have mercy on us.
Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us.
St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment