Recently the news has weighed heavily on my heart. The war with Iran that began last week raises growing concerns that it could become prolonged. Analysts estimate that the war is costing about one billion dollars per day. If the conflict continues, the cost for just two months could reach 40 to 95 billion dollars. When rising oil prices, global economic shocks, and postwar reconstruction are included, the total economic impact could exceed 200 billion dollars.
When we look back at history, we see how devastating the cost of war can be. In 2003, during the presidency of George W. Bush, the Iraq War began. It was launched under the claim that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. At the time, the war seemed as though it would end quickly. However, it continued for more than ten years, and the United States ultimately spent nearly two trillion dollars. Even more troubling, the justification for the war later proved to be uncertain.
Perhaps the most serious consequence of war is that the burden is ultimately carried by ordinary people. When national resources are consumed by war, funding for welfare and education inevitably declines. As economic and social pressures grow, people’s hearts often become hardened, and they begin to look for someone to blame for their anger and frustration. Historically, those scapegoats have often been minorities and immigrants.
Looking back now, there is something I did in those days that almost makes me tremble. I was in my mid-thirties in 1991 when President George H. W. Bush began the Gulf War. I believed the war was unjust. The day after the U.S. Air Force bombed Baghdad, I put on my clergy collar—something I rarely wore—and went to the federal building to hold a one-person protest.
My sign read:
“Even the Iraqi soldiers dying from bombs made with my tax dollars are children of God. Stop the war.”
Some people shouted, “Love it or leave it!” Others hurled racial insults. Then several mounted police officers came and surrounded me. One of them said,
“We will protect you here until 5 p.m. Please finish by five.”
I still remember that moment vividly. Seeing police officers firmly protect a citizen protesting government policy stirred many emotions in my heart. At the same time, I felt a deep sense of pride in the United States—a country where such a thing could happen.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches in the Beatitudes about the kind of people who receive the blessing of the Kingdom of God: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
These values stand in sharp contrast to the values of the kingdoms of this world, which are often driven by power and the logic of war.
Followers of Jesus are called to see the world through the eyes of the cross and to seek the path of peace and reconciliation. When the world moves toward war, the church must clearly show the path of peace.
In times of confusion and turmoil like these, we must return to the teachings of Jesus that form the foundation of our faith—especially the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes.
And even today, God continues to build His Kingdom quietly in this world through our small acts of love and justice.
