War

War on terrorism. War in Afghanistan. Iraq War. Culture war.

Those are a few of catch-phrase that I hear often when I think about war. These wars are ugly. Attack from one side will be retaliated by the other side on an even greater scale. As Mother Teresa puts it, "An eye for an eye and the world will go blind."

Why do we we have wars? Why does it even matter? What are the consequences of war? I questions these philosophical questions while watching a japanese drama called Fumo Chitai which means "The Waste Land". This fictional story has post World War II Japan as its backdrop. I learned that one of the consequences that the Japanese military officials have to endure is the harsh labor camp in Siberia for Uni Soviet. In other words: The one who had put people into labor camps has become the laborer itself.

Isn't it the same in our Christian faith? There is a war going on right here and now. A fierce battle between good and evil. We have all heard of it, but we just have never realized its impact in our present day life. The best part of this war? We know who the winner is. Christ is the winner of this war against evil. Christ is the triumphant king of all things. The lamb that was slain has become the lamb that reigns.

But winning the war does not mean winning all the battles.

When we fall to sin, there is a deep sadness in his heart. He is sad to see one of his comrades fell to evil's temptation. His heart is pierced, His crown of thorns cuts more deeper than ever, His cross gets even heavier by the weight of our sins. And the most painful of all? The cheer from the devil erupts when one person fell into their cunning temptation that they have set.

The devil thinks that this is the moment that they have been waiting for. The one that holds the image of God has finally given in. I can win the battle for the day.

Well Devil, I'm sorry to say this, but God wins the war. No matter how many battles that you have won, God always comes up with an even better plans to recuperate every single people that has fallen off the wagon. As the bible told us, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." (Rm 8:28)

Devil, I need to tell you this: you, who had put countless people into your labor camps will become the laborer yourself. I know for sure that I, by myself, am nothing. But with Christ in me, I am more than a conqueror (Rm 8:37).

And that's how the story ends.


*Disclaimer: As much as Japan has bring more damage while colonializing my country for 3.5 years than the Dutch who colonialized us for 3.5 centuries (according to our history textbook), I sympathized with the country itself. Again, I am not condoning their actions, which was terrible to say the least, but I am trying to love them as a nation. The bombs of Hiroshima - Nagasaki, the harsh labor camps that the military officials have to endure, and the humiliation of the people realizing their own wrong-doings are enough for me to have compassion on their people. As we all have seen, Japan has risen to be the second biggest economic power in the world, emerging itself out of the bleakness of their post WWII lost, which was amazing. What I'm trying to do is to draw the fact that evil actions will lose in the end, just like the devil itself will lose in the end of times. To make it clear: I am not trying to say that japan = evil, I am just trying to draw metaphor through the evil actions that the Japanese has done.