Where do wars come from?

I was watching a BBC docudrama last night on the first world war battle of the Somme. I learned that more than 3 million men took part in this battle, one third of which were either wounded or killed. So I decided to investigate what it was that started the war. The direct cause is said to be the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. However many historians feel that a number of factors contributed to the rivalry between the Great powers that allowed war on such a wide-scale to break out.

In James 4:1 asks “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your carnal desires that war in your members?” Reading about the factors mentioned above, we are told causes included rivalry between the powers that had formed alliances, crises that occurred before the war where nationalism and pride, the loss of face had occurred in a number of crises that took place before the war etc., etc. All this fits well with the James is telling us!

And the carnage was oh so futile. In the end after almost 5 months of fighting the lines had moved a mere 10 km into German occupied territory. And if it really did start with the death of just one man? Jesus tells us that the Evil one came to kill and to steal and to destroy (John 10:10a). He does such a good job!

But it's not only physical wars that cause carnage and are futile. The 21st century is littered with the devastation caused by divorce, separation, pride, arrogance, greed, and the over emphasis on personal rights to the exclusion of the rights of others. As we move more and more into the post-Christian era, it is more and more imperative, that we who name the name of Christ operate out of a very different paradigm! There is not one of us who is qualified to cast the first stone!

Father, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon me. As James again tells us, in many things we all fail (James 3:2). That's me Lord! Father, I pray again the prayer from Sunday’s post "Lord show me the part that I need to play in putting to death the deeds and the desires of the flesh. Thank you that it’s not all up to me, thank you that you perform that which is lacking, when I give you my all. In Jesus name Amen"