Jen's Thoughts

Lessons from History

Over the past couple class periods for Asian-American History (history of US - Asia foreign relations...not that of Asian-Americans), I watched a video on the war crimes of WWII. I have seen similar videos in the past on the Holocaust and such, but this video was different. It had lots of actual footage instead of a few still photographs. Videos of thousands being buried, shots of starving children in the Warsaw ghetto, the diary of a Japanese soldier who raped women in Nanjing, and the film went on. My hair was literally standing on end. I felt numb from this continuous stream of man's worst deeds. It was enough almost to make me sick. It took a good hour to recover and process what I had seen, then an additional half an hour of talking to Dad about it that night.

The most valuable thing I learned was not just facts about what atrocity one side did to another 65 years ago. No, I saw stark evidence of man's depravity. This is why man needs a Savior. I know Jesus died for every sin, but He died not just for the white lie I told or the evil thoughts I have, but He died for the sins of these men too. He died for the rapist, the murderer, the victim, the Nazi. Every sin. That's just incomprehensible. No wonder the Father looked away. The greater the wonder that He did it for us at all.

Now then, after watching that, some might say, there is no God. A good God would never allow that to happen. But, haven't we done it to ourselves? If God intervened every time a man tried to hurt another, there would be no free will to believe. The same allowance that God exercises is what makes love possible, that makes forgiveness a reality. Who am I to question the sovereignty of God? He knows far better than I. As it says in Daniel - none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou?

Finally, the actual history lesson. General Sherman said,"War is hell." Yes, it is destructive, gruesome, and awful in many ways. However, war is necessary. There are just causes worth fighting for. Pacificism will not end war (a very good read on this is C.S. Lewis' speech, "Why I am Not a Pacifist" found in the book, The Weight of Glory). War often provides incredible oppurtunity for heroism, mercy, and good deeds. War forces men to realize that they are not immortal. The death percentage for mankind is 100% and can go no higher. War makes us remember death (Lewis' thought). I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I do believe war is necessary, although war in itself is not good. War is a means to a just end (hopefully), but it is not an end in itself. I have chosen to study history, and I've faced some of the worst of it this week. This study is necessary as well. Learn the mistakes of the past, and hope to make wiser choices in the present.

posted by Jen @ 3:40 PM