Continuing our thoughts on
Ephesians 2:14a—For [Christ] is our peace—when
has the world truly known peace?
In recent years, we have all witnessed the warfare that has
raged in the Middle East, despite scores of so-called “cease-fires” and “peace
initiatives.” In 1948, the less than worthless United Nations ordered a
cease-fire on June 11 to end the war that followed Israel’s declaration of its
independence. Less than a month later, fighting broke out again. A second truce
took effect on July 18 but lasted only into October. An Armistice was signed on
February 24, 1949; it lasted seven years before war exploded again in late
October 1956. Eight days later, on November 6, another cease-fire came by way
of the United Nations. UN troops were based in the region to guard the truce
until they withdrew at Egypt’s request in May 1967, just before the infamous
Six-Day War began in June. Egypt agreed to yet another UN-ordered cease-fire
with Israel on June 8, the fourth day of the war, with Syria coming to terms
two days later. Peace was again shattered three years later in August
1970, followed by another cease-fire initiated by the United States, followed
by a new conflict on October 6, 1973, and on it went.
Attending a 1974 state dinner in the Saudi Arabian royal
guest palace, US President Richard Nixon heard King Faisal express himself
clearly with regard to the Middle East problem with these words: “There will
never be a real and lasting peace in the area unless Jerusalem is liberated and
returned to Arab sovereignty, unless liberation of all the occupied Arab
territories is achieved, and unless the Arab peoples of Palestine regain their
rights to return to their homes and be given the right of self-determination.”
Which means that there can never be peace in the Middle East
because the Arab nations do not now have nor have they ever
had any legal right to the land they claim is theirs.
Such a state of affairs makes the claim that “peace in the
Middle East is the legacy of Jimmie Carter” almost laughable. As a witness for
the US, he signed a Peace Treaty on March 26, 1980 between Egypt and Israel
that supposedly ended the state of war that had existed for 31 years. We have
since seen how empty that treaty was.
On another note, I was also reminded of the motto of the
Apollo 11 flight, “We come in peace for all mankind.” This motto was on the
plaque that was planted on the surface of the moon, symbolically in the Sea of
Tranquility, by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in July 1969. The irony of this
is that the race for the moon was actually motivated mostly for military
superiority, as the US feared if the Soviets got there first, they would
use the moon as a launching pad for nuclear weapons.
Further, during the Cold War, there was the doctrine of
“Mutually Assured Destruction,” which held that the way to keep peace
was to match the enemies’ number of nuclear weapons, assuring that nuclear war
would annihilate both sides. This theory was tested during thirteen days in
October 1962 when the world held its breath during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
What about disarmament? Men have talked many times of it through the ages, but
few have really meant it. Someone has wisely said, “When nations talk about
reducing armies, every nation wants the last sword.”
Even today, there is the tongue-in-cheek motto of the
military, “Peace through superior firepower.” While that’s certainly an uneasy
and frightening method of keeping the peace, in man’s depravity it’s actually
the only way. But even that was tested on September 11, 2001 when
Islamic fanatics high jacked jet liners and flew them into the World Trade
Center towers and the Pentagon, and intended to fly a fourth into another
target but were thwarted by six brave men, at least one of whom, Todd Beamer,
was a Christian.
Yes, peace seems to be an elusive dream. But is it?
While it certainly is elusive, it’s not a dream, even though most history makes
it appear so. Peace is possible, but it’s found only in one way,
that is, in one person. It comes not through a diplomat, but through a Savior,
the only Savior, Jesus Christ. It comes not through negotiations, but
through the finished work of Christ on the Cross. We’ll look deeper into
this wonderful truth next time.
