It's December when we prepare, singing about the birth of the Christ, about hope, about peace.  We sing (or listen) to this music with the performance of Handel's    Messiah, Christmas caroling and music during worship.  In addition we hear music in stores where we shop, cars when we travel, and Christmas specials on television.

All this wonderful music is about the birth of the Christ, about hope, about peace.  Yet, we are not at peace but war.  This is not about a political position but about God's desire for peace.  This desire is seen in Isaiah 2:3-4.  The prophet speaks of a day when God will teach the people the ways and paths of God.  The response of the people is to turn "their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks."  Today we might translate that as turning tanks into tractors and melting guns into shovels.  The idea is to take something that can only destroy and turn it into something that can build or grow food over and over again.

War is expensive.  The Persian Gulf War cost $88 billion.  The Korea War cost $456 billion.    The    Vietnam War cost $518 billion.  World War II was $3,900 billion.  These amounts are adjusted for     inflation for the year 2008.  These amounts come from the Congressional Budget Office, Center for   Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and were reported in USA Today, October 24, 2007.  The current war in Iraq and Afghanistan is now expected to total not billions, but $2.4 trillion.  To put that another way, that's $8,000 per man, woman and child in the United States.

War is expensive.  Yet, what is money compared to the sacrifices made by our military personnel?  For those against the war, the injury and death numbers are way up this year.  This is true.  For those desiring to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan, the numbers are way down in recent months.  This is also true.         However, there have been over 3,800 deaths and over 28,000 injured so far according to the Department of Defense.  There is no price higher than what has been paid by these military troops and their families.  I recently met a young man in an airport, a medic in the military now stationed in the USA.  He wants to go back to Iraq.  He doesn't believe in this war and said we ought to get out.  However he wants to go back to Iraq because he feels he has abandoned his buddies.  That's commitment!

What do I want you to do?  First, I want you to pray for peace.  Second, I want everyone to wake up and recognize that money for the war expenses will have to come from somewhere.  The US dollar will     continue to deteriorate until revenues for these debts can be raised from taxpayers.  I certainly don't like the way that sounds!  Meanwhile, we neither have enough money for mandates set for No Child Left   Behind, nor do we have enough money to make sure every child in our nation has health insurance.  Sometimes Christianity is tough, and now is one of those tough times.  If we are to follow the "ways and paths of God," then we are to be about the work of peace.  When we work for peace, this work will return us back to praying for peace.  Until every troop can be home for Christmas, please pray for peace.  And, I promise to lighten up for Christmas.

Your partner in ministry,

Bill

The Rev. Dr. William R. Nirote