From Bishops Rob Hirschfeld (New Hampshire) and Thomas Brown (Maine)
It has been said and repeated since ancient times, “the first casualty of war is the truth.” It makes no difference what political party one may ascribe to; every ruler who has waged war in human history has found it necessary to exaggerate the peril posed by an enemy and to amplify their own success after making an attack and to justify aggression as defensive and inevitable.
We now find ourselves, yet again, being drawn into a military conflict—for the sake of truth let’s just call it a war—that must be heartbreaking to disciples of the Prince of Peace. We believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Those who follow Jesus, follow him in times of both peace and peril. We do not rejoice in violence or retribution. Rather, because in Jesus Christ God has chosen to be inextricably bound with all humankind—all humankind—then God is suffering. In the words of an old hymn:
There is no place where earth’s sorrows
Are more felt than up in Heaven...*
That heaven and this fallen, sinful human race are so interwoven means that our prayers and our demands to make peace are proof of the Truth no bomb, missile, or drone can obliterate. Christ is the immortal Truth of God’s death-defying love for every family, language, race, people, and nation.
And so, we pray. Wherever you find yourself during this summer we invite you set time aside every day to pray for peace. In doing so you join so many of the faithful around the world and thus amplify the effect of prayer. Pray for the vision and skill of negotiators and diplomats who can see paths toward just reconciliation where others cannot. Pray for the turning of hearts and minds of those who use force as the means to extend their hold on political power. Pray for the protection of those in the Armed Forces of our own nation—many of whom are in our own families and communities— and for those among our allies as well. And yes, because our Lord taught us to, we also pray for our enemies. Pray for the courage to speak and act against the spirit of hate which can so easily overtake our mind and souls.
The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld
The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Brown
*“There's a Wideness in God's Mercy,” composed by Fr. Frederick William Faber (1814-1863), The Hymnal 1982