Forever Fighting
One startling statistic reveals that less than 8% of human history is considered peaceful. Of the several thousand years of recorded history, only about three hundred years appear to have been times when most of the world was in a state of relative tranquility. The rest of those years are marked by battles and conflicts between tribes, religious groups, countries, and nations.
When the Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700s, many believed it would usher in a new age of peace and prosperity. This optimism was also buffered by the fact that the so-called “Age of Reason” ran almost parallel to the Industrial Revolution.
In some ways, prosperity did come for many; however, the notion of worldwide peace proved to be an illusion. The 20th century alone saw more than one hundred million deaths due to wars and conflicts. Most surprisingly, the 20th century may have been just as deadly—if not more so—in terms of war casualties as all prior wars in human history combined! The “Age of Industry and Reason” only led to more potent methods of warfare. A thousand swordsmen could not create as much carnage as a single atomic bomb.
It is often said that two things are certain in life: death and taxes. Yet, we may need to add a third—war. There are countless reasons wars take place, but when we peel back the layers of political dominance, land disputes, feigned idealism, and the like, we find pride, greed, and, ultimately, the anger of mankind at the root. The apostle James once wrote, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20, ESV). Man’s anger, which is not the same as righteous zeal, tends only toward more corruption and chaos.
Fighting factions and presumptuous quarrels should never be found within Christ’s church. The church should be known for its love, humility, and unity, which can be summed up in one word: harmony. How can such a peaceful atmosphere be achieved? Only when believers learn to be long-suffering and humble rather than quick-tempered and haughty. Only when Christians take their eyes off themselves and look solely to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2a), can heavenly harmony be truly experienced.
