What Is Our Hope?

On the eve of the renewal of the Patriot Act, I went to the Wayne County courthouse to attend a meeting of the "Help America Vote Act” commission. I was greeted by two armed guards, who asked me to go through a metal detector saying, "We are in a state of war." Ever since I was born in 1955, the United States has been involved in armed conflict with one enemy or another. Most of the time, those enemies had names. Communists in North Korea and North Vietnam. Guerilla forces in El Salvador and Nicaragua. In addition, there have been countless military operations, sponsored coupes, and naval blockades. During the Johnson administration we had a "War On Poverty" and for 40 years we have had a "War On Drugs." But we never had to give up our civil liberties or had to face armed guards at government buildings, airports, and other places.

"What war?" I asked the guard. "The War On Terror," I was told. President Bush and other leaders and commentators have used this phrase so often that we don't even hear the words any more. But this expression makes no grammatical or logical sense in the English language. You can not have a war on an emotion! You can not fight fear, or terror with guns any more than you can fight anger or hate with guns.

What is so different now? Why should we tolerate being treated as if we were strangers in our own land? As if we were suspected criminals? Possible terrorists? Sure, 911 happened.. I saw it, too. I knew people who died. I know people who went to help. Ever since the first European settlers set foot on American soil there have been criminals, acts of violence and terrorists. But should we go back to the days of the Wild West, with soldiers stationed throughout the land? Should we all carry guns, prepared to shoot anyone who insults, injures or attacks us? How long should we act as if we are under siege?

If we want our peaceful, freedom loving country back, "Our help is in the name of the Lord." Isaiah wrote, "Fear not! For I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God." Paul wrote, "Perfect love casts out fear." As Jesus said to Peter, "Put up your sword!" so we must say to our President and other leaders, "Let us put up our swords!" We should rise up and call on the Church and our government to send peacemaking teams to every hot spot in the world. It's time to beat our swords into plowshares.

We need to refuse to let our spirits be dominated by fear. We need to refuse to put our faith in the power of the gun to make peace. Let us stand on the firm, time tested foundation of the Scriptures, and we will be free to have a fresh, forward looking, hopeful political discussion. Let us use our freedom to redeem our democracy!

Dr. Greene is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and a resident of Richmond, IN. He is also the author of Benjamin's Dog Joseph, Feeling Better: The Wisdom of the Doc, You Can Feel Better: How to cope with chronic pain and physical disabilities, and co-author of Walking Free: the Nellie Zimmerman Story.

For further information about his books, please visit www.densmorereid.com

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