(2 Kings 6:16)
November 5
A JUST WAR?
Ten months home from deployment, I was asked to give a presentation to a group of students. The topic was to cover my involvement during the war in Afghanistan. In preparation for my lecture, the students had sent me a number of questions that they hoped to have answered. One of the questions had to deal with religion and the justification of war. It was a topic that I had not actively thought about since my return to the United States.
I knew that there had to be something in the Bible to answer this question. Time and time again I was steered by readings and theology to Romans 13:1: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
From my own personal moral convictions and my rather rudimentary study of the scripture, I was able to come to a “Just War Theory” that was reminiscent of the works of Calvin and Locke.
Both in theory and in historical statement, then, the key thesis of the just war theory is that on the basis both of Scripture and natural law, government (and only government) has the right to use armed force, and then only in the defense of peace and justice and with severe limitations on both the ends and the means adopted. In as much as Christians participate in government and serve as government’s official agents, then, they may however regretfully and with however much moral caution fight.{2}
I thank you that those in authority are servants of your kingdom, Lord, whether or not they know you. Please cause them to do what is right and what will bring glory to your name.
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong…. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” (Romans 13:1–5)
November 6
BEGINNING MY BIBLE STUDY
Following my initial spiritual awakening during deployment, one could say that my road to spiritual growth was paved with good intentions. I started to regularly attend church and Bible study with my wife, but I still had not had an illuminating moment of Christian conversion. I purchased a Bible and a devotional study guide designed to lead me through the entire Bible within a year. Despite carrying both books across the country numerous times, I failed to ever take the time to actually sit down and begin to study.
By October 2002, I was fully entrenched in the day to day toils of being a department head in a fighter squadron. I was responsible for ten aircraft and the leadership of approximately three hundred people. It was a time of great stress and great reward, but I seemed to be unappreciative of the opportunities.
The squadron was on detachment to Fallon, so my workload as the Maintenance Officer was on the rise. Yet again away from home, I was reminded that for the first eighteen months of my young son’s life, I had been separated from him for the combined total of almost a year. For almost ten months I had been battling a foot ailment which, despite the best efforts of the doctors, made it difficult to even wear a boot. I had reached a point where I was feeling stressed, homesick, and melancholy.
On October, 30, 2002, I awoke in my room at the Bachelors Officers Quarters like any other day. Arriving at the squadron to brief the Commanding Officer on the status of the jets, I discovered that my daily flight had been cancelled. Normally, this meant the opportunity to get caught up on paperwork, or maybe head back to the ‘Q’ for a good workout or a little bit of TV.
I’m not sure what it was that finally prodded me to pick up my Bible and study guide. The devotional is set up in a manner that provides a contextual preview, assigns a specific scripture reading, and then has a personal application. The passage in the scripture reading that day would forever change my spiritual life:
Please continue your good work of drawing thousands more to faith in Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior, Fortress, and King.
“The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 10:8–11)
November 7
PUTTING CHRIST FIRST
Cdr. Robert T. Garretson
Even when I was home, I was consumed with work. While I thought I was doing a pretty good job of playing the action hero/tough guy, inside I was crashing. I felt lonely, stressed, depressed, and those who knew me best would later tell me they could see a shortness in my temper.
Finally, while the squadron was away from home again on a training detachment and received the word that we were going to war again, I began to recognize that I was losing altitude fast. I literally fell to my knees and asked the Lord, “God, I need you in my life, what do I need to do to save myself?” The answer He gave me was to reengage my spiritual life and get back into the fight. It was time to apply many of the things I had learned flying jets to my faith.
For example, I had to apply flight control corrections. To stop my descent, I had to take action and pull out of my dive. I had to actively accept and pursue a personal relationship with Christ
I had to check my instruments. In the jet, if you’re out of control and only focus outside the cockpit, you fail to recognize what’s really happening. During these times, you have to get inside the cockpit and focus on your instruments. The instruments don’t lie, they give a true reading of our attitude and altitude. They let us see where we’re at and where we need to be. In my spiritual life, the instrument is God’s Word. I need to listen and apply God’s Word in my life and get into God’s Word through daily devotions as Chaplain Mike shared.
I had to find my wingmen. In military aviation, the wingman is special. We trust our wingman with our life and he trusts us with his. In a time of crisis, he provides support from a detached but understanding point of view. At the same time we support him. Every one of us need to fly through life with wingmen who we can connect with, who are in the same stage of life someone to provide understanding and mutual support.
