WARS DON’T JUST END
REFLECTIONS ON THE CENTENARY OF THE ORIGINAL ARMISTICE
Kim and I recently did a bicycle tour of Berlin, Germany. We were shown the destruction of the city that occurred during World War 2 and is still evident today. It might be thought that this war ended in May 1945, but in reality though, with the dividing of Germany into East and West (tragically symbolised by the division of its capital, Berlin, located in the East) this war simply morphed into an idealogical ‘Cold War’.
Twenty-five years earlier, the seeds of this war were sown in the first World War, which was dramatically portrayed in the movie, Journey’s End (the recreation of a 90 year old theatrical play of the same name). The movie graphically ends with few, if any, survivors, and then the chilling statistics of how many soldiers died in the few months of their pointless battle. This war was also arguably the continuation of the Franco-Prussian War just a few decades before. Wars don’t just end!
In contrast to needless wars, there are those who have courageously fought for peace by promoting and demonstrating the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. I present two examples of how wars have their best chance of being avoided or brought to an end: Desmond T. Doss, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. From these two stellar examples, I draw on their principles to propose how a more permanent peace can be achieved, and thus brings wars to a true end.
DESMOND DOSS
A depiction of Desmond Doss rescuing a wounded soldier from the frontline of the battle
Desmond Doss (Feb. 7th 1919 – Mar. 23rd 2006), pictured left, was a private in the United States Army who served as a combat medic. He refused to bear arms and yet was twice awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery during action in Guam and Philippines, and, he received the highest military honour, the Medal of Honor (The Purple Heart), for his efforts in saving the lives of (at least) 75 men. He is the only conscientious objector to have received this honour. His life was portrayed by Andrew Garfield in Mel Gibson’s film, Hacksaw Ridge. Apart from refusing kill another human being, Doss was renowned for saving the lives of both American and Japanese combatants. His motivation for doing so was his commitment to Christ, and obedience to love his neighbour – not kill him!
Photo: Private_First_Class-Desmond_T_Doss, taken 1945
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Feb. 4 1906 – Apr. 9 1945) was a German theologian and pastor who saw the connection between ideas and consequences. From April 1933 he first publicly raised concerns about Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany, calling him not the Führer (leader), but the Verführer (seducer) on a live national radio broadcast which was abruptly taken off air. In 1938, the Gestapo banned Bonhoeffer from Berlin, and in 1943 they imprisoned him in a military prison where he spent some 18 months. During this time, he wrote two very significant books, The Cost of Discipleship, and, Life Together. For Bonhoeffer, the kind of peace that ended – and especially prevented – wars was only possible by having a living faith in Christ demonstrated by how we treat the vulnerable and oppressed. At a time when the German church was being led by men essentially appointed by Hitler, who claimed to be ‘Christian’, yet who had no relationship with, or living faith in, Jesus Christ, Bonhoeffer’s accusation that these men were wolves not shepherds went largely unheeded.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer with a group of students he was preparing for Confirmation in the Lutheran Church
¶ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Second Timothy 2:1-5
TRUTH, THE ANTIDOTE
No man in the whole world can change the truth. One can only look for the truth, find it and serve it. The truth is in all places.
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Andrew Corbett at Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s writing desk in his family home
It is said, “Ideas have consequences and bad ideas have victims!” Wars are nearly always founded on some bad idea. While all people are equal, not all ideas are. Bad ideas include the belief in: the superiority of one particular ethnic group; one particular economic status; one particular skin colour; one particular distortion of a religion; the satisfaction of greed brings happiness and fulfilment; and, that one particular would-be leader has a right to use to impose his leadership on others.
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
James 4:1
The antidote to these bad ideas is not tolerance, but truth. The means of this antidote is not avoidance, but rather, thoughtful engagement.
Wars are still being waged today around the world. But perhaps the reasons why there are not even more wars is that there is already much thoughtful engagement happening. This includes, inter-government level diplomacy; the freeing up of international borders (contributing to greater international tourism); exchange student programs; academic exchange programs; commercial globalisation; the visual arts; and, the internet.
Irish playwright, Robert Sherriff, who wrote ‘Journey’s End’
Ten years after World War 1 ended, a returned British soldier, Robert Sherriff (pictured left) wrote the stage play, Journey’s End. It launched the acting career of a young Laurence Olivier, and played at the Apollo Theatre, London, for two years. It told the story of what it was like as a soldier in the trenches of the Western Front of Saint Quentin, Aisne, France, in 1918, where every soldier was doomed to die. Two hundred and fifty-four thousand, eight hundred and sixteen soldiers died during this campaign. When Journey’s End opening on December 9th 1928, audiences were left in stunned silence at the end of the play. It revealed the truth about what font-line warfare was really like rather than the romantic idealism generally held by the British at that time. It had a dramatic effect on the collective British psyche and may explain the reluctance of British political leadership to get embroiled in yet another war in 1939. One wonders what effect it might have had if it had been shown in Germany at the same time?
A German soldier in the frontline trenches of the Somme, France, during World War I
___
Wars don’t just end – and neither do they just start. They grow from a bad idea – which is why so-called “peace talks” often fail (because they fail to address and correct the underlying bad idea). For peace to prevail, truth must prevail before bad ideas are allowed to run their course.
On the gate of the Berlin Cathedral, “Hass schadet der Seele” ‘Hate kills the soul’
¶ So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
This Sunday, November 11th, at 11AM, we will observe a minute’s silence during our worship service – not to celebrate or glorify war – but to remember and long for the Prince of Peace to come into every heart.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
Isaiah 2:4
Dr. Andrew Corbett
Hello Andrew. Welcome home!!
Thank you for the truthful clarification between good ideas and consequence, versus bad ideas creating victims.
In relation to freeing up international borders, a great deal of thoughtful engagement is required by all Australians and particularly the Australian government, to bring truth to the accommodation and responsible care of refugees. Immigrants, not arriving as welcomed and much needed tourists with money, but as physically and mentally distraught victims of bad ideas imposed upon them in another country.
When refugees reach Australian shores, are they going to be subjected to intellectualised bad ideas upon arrival, resulting in victimization via the normalized disguise of untruthful political correctness?
Would Jesus shun and isolate refugees, or given them food to eat, clothes to wear, a place to live, money to become established, employment and a community to support them in their new lives? Imagine how beautiful and truthful it would be to see Jesus standing on Australia’s shores, welcoming dirty, tired, poor and sick refugees.
Also imagine how beautiful and truthful it would be to see Jesus standing in Arrivals at the airport, welcoming immigrants with love who, after thoughtful engagement with their families, have left their birth country to begin a new life in Australia. Immigrants with truthful hearts, as well as sound professional and business skills, so badly needed in many areas of this great country.
On the flip side, many immigrants are granted entry into Australia, simply because they have the money to purchase a business. This bad idea justification is entirely based on an easy cash grab by the government. These immigrants may not have been tested adequately for appropriate business ethics or the skills needed to run the businesses they have purchased. The business they acquire may well become run down under their leadership and, in the process, risk taking a much needed service provision away from an established local community. Small supermarkets, dry cleaners, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, post offices, newsagents. These businesses are typical of purchases made by immigrants, solely for the reason of gaining entry into Australia, and all take intelligent and mindful business skills to stay afloat, thrive, employ people and serve their local communities well.
The Australian government welomes business buying immigrants as they spend ready cash, buy property and businesses, pay rates and taxes and often have cashed up and established expat communities to tap into upon arrival. After their initial arrival, they often don’t bother the government for assistance ever again. Nice and easy for the government statistics, showing how money for government funds has been boosted by this quick and lucrative immigration policy. Is this grab for cash a truthful policy?
Who are the victims of such untruthful bad ideas? Elderly and vulnerable Australian citizens, who have to take public transport and walk to buy items necessary for their daily existence, rely heavily on small local businesses being well run and well stocked. Every time a shop in a local shopping community is run down or closes, due to poor business skills, the quality of daily life for our elderly and vulnerable citizens runs down in a parallel slide.
For every business that fails to adequately continue serving the local community, there are elderly and vulnerable Australian citizens having to take longer bus/train/tram rides and often a longer, pain filled walk, simply to buy a loaf of bread, a stamp, pick up a parcel sent by friends and relatives, or buy some tea and sugar for a nice cuppa at the end of the day.
Weary, dirty, sick and poor refugees, may well have better personal ethics, business and work skills than many of the cashed up legal immigrants, but lack the funds and optimal circumstances to enter Australia under its legal immigration system. No passport, no entry.
Solution is brick walls, wire cages, mentally ill commuity members living side by side with traumatized children. Government money spent hand over fist for bare bones, degrading and damaging accommodation, followed by legal aid fees to show the Australian government the victimization its refugee policy has created. All that money spent locking up, feeding, clothing, guarding and isolating these refugees, could have been spent listening to and testing for helpful skills, or imminent danger, amongst the desperate illegal arrivals. The result being helpful and skilled up new citizens contributing to their local communities, and dangerous individuals receiving either appropriate mental care or incarceration through truthful legal process.
Where is the truthful criteria for immigrants to enter Australia? Will the Australian government ever give priority to truthful, thoughtful engagement, with all who knock legally or arrive unexpectedly at our Australian shores?
Having to ask myself, am I capable of thoughtful engagement or do I choose the bad ideas and thought processes backed by the easy cash in portion of Australia’s government immigration policy. After all, not too many refugees arriving in Rosevears today, so simple to put it on the back burner.
Hi Andrew, thank you for your thoughtful treatise.
The reason we have a minute’s silence is to remember those who died or were injured in order that today we might be free, one aspect of that freedom being that we are able to enjoy meeting together in Church.
If all men between the years 1939 and 1945 had been pacifists, those of us left alive today would be slaves to tyranny.
We should never glorify war.
My grandfather, Fred Smail, was injured on the Western Front. He carried a large unremovable piece of shrapnel in his head for the rest of his life. He was crippled on one side, including his arm and hand, yet continued working productively as a postman till he retired. He had 13 children
My uncle, Roger Raman received the Cross De Guerre for running out of cover to draw sniper fire. He fought in the Spanish Civil War and for the Free Polish Army. He spent the last years of his life in suffering physically, mentally and emotionally.
My uncle Bob spent years in Japanese death camps, including having to ‘work’ in Japan.
Etc etc.
Lest we forget.
Thank you for sharing that Norm. You have made a valuable contribution, and so have your grandfather and uncles.
Thank you Andrew, I really appreciate this piece. I hope that our young people will grasp the significance of the Centenary of Armistice and continue in active remembrance in future years. Dee