The image is stark. Secretary of State John Kerry, the Hawk, pleading for muscle in Syria. Contrast a much younger John Kerry the Dove, seated with Jane Fonda, speaking against force in Vietnam. It is not uncommon for the political views of people to do a 180 from their season of youth to their more 'mature' years. Perhaps Ralph Kramden understood it all best when he said that it's really too bad youth has to be wasted on young people.
Or how about Senator Barbara Boxer in the forum this afternoon? Waxing eloquently. She said it's a good thing we have seen the terrible videos of dead women and children who were gassed to death. As horrific as those images are she noted, they certainly will cause us to act to stop the slaughter. However, we will not watch an abortion video and count the 4,000 dead, here in America, yesterday, today, and scheduled for tomorrow. After all, we will allow innocent women and children to be displaced, starved, to be gunned down, and or, be hacked to death - but chemicalocide is not permissible. Unless of course they are used internally, to stop a beating heart inside the womb.
Senator Rand Paul seemed to ruffle some feathers. Ah, the search for truth. Pilate was interested in truth. In John 18:38 (KJV) in a sensational moment of good and evil in private conversation, Pilate asked Jesus directly, "What is truth?" Pilate never figured it out.
Rome burned, Nero fiddled, and Senator John McCain played video games during the antebellum, Senate Hearing speeches. And once again, our nation, that is our leadership, seems to be caught up in the aura of war. I remember a few years back when Colin Powell warned president Bush that if he broke Iraq, he would own it. How many Dinars does an acre cost in Iraq these days?
That was then. What of now? Could a 'we're not going to put boots on the ground missile attack' on Syria break things in the Middle East? While you ponder that query, you might also think about why it is called the Middle East. It is quite possible the damage which could result from our liberal, egocentric-tinkering type intervention, could resurrect the story of Humpty Dumpty. Remember fence-riding HD? He had a great fall.
One particular section of the Old Testament calls our attention at such a time as this. It is Isaiah 17:1-3 The Burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. 2The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for the flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid. 3The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.
There are some who will say this one doesn't count. They will point to 732 B.C. when Damascus was ravaged by the Assyrians (See 2 Kings 15:19-29; 16:7-9). The Assyrians went on to see their fortunes fade in 612 B.C. Yet, they are believed to be the first country to have become a Christian nation.
Those who hold the position that Damascus has her bad hair day many centuries ago do so at their own peril. They fail to recognize that the biblical story has many instances of partial fulfillment, with the same episode to be repeated in the future. Clearly, Damascus survived to fight another day. In addition, the rabid spirit of anti-Israelism in the world will cause many to miss the Hand of God at work.
Now I am not claiming this is necessarily, the Damascus moment of fulfillment. Only the Lord knows when that is slated for historical fact. However, events in that region of the world could spiral out of control very quickly. Especially when the president leads from behind, and the Merry Men follow along. Jesus had some harsh words for flawed leaders who rejected wisdom and the truth. He said in Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. I must confess, it is difficult to leave them alone. One thing I do know, if we done broke it, there won't be anybody who can put poor Humpty Dumpty back together again.
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