Truth is not always what we want it to be.
War's reality is much closer to home than we want to acknowledge.
As parents, we wage war against that which threatens to steal our children's allegiance when it poses danger and harm. Drugs, unstable friends, the path of least resistance--we teach our children to fight against such, to grow into adulthood understanding the value of hard work, careful choices and self-denial.
In our marriages, we wage war against adultery, neglect and abuse. When any of those bullies enter our spousal relationship, if we don't wage war, we will lose the once stable ground upon which our marriage was built.
War is reclaiming that which bullies (visible or invisible) seek to destroy.
Are you going to negotiate with the drug dealer that sweetly introduces himself to your child?
Are you going to compromise with the office worker who is making a play for your spouse?
We can't fight war at home and then apply anti-war rhetoric to larger ground that is in jeopardy.
We can, however, bravely consider truth.
Is freedom for human souls at stake? Do we have the resources to help? And, most critically, are we called to help?
Yes, yes and yes may be a declaration of war...in any setting.
