WHAT IS THE PRICE OF ONE LIFE?

Refusal to negotiate with terrorists has always been one of those allegedly obvious truths that the powerful put forward. Clearly, the worry is that even by showing the terrorist any legitimacy that the terrorist is empowered. Indeed, this is about power, especially about those with power not conceding any of it. I can understand that nations don't want to grant undue power to rogue groups, but when they take hostages then they have already seized a certain amount of power. Getting them to release the hostages thus releases the power they gained in exchange for whatever they receive in return. So whatever is given to the hostage takers is seen as the equivalent of the lives of the hostages. So is there any price too high for just a single life, let alone 19? We can all too easily get calloused by the overwhelming loss of life that war brings to us in daily body counts. Names get lost in numbers, lives become something less than personal when they become the currency of conflict.

Does Jesus' overturning of the "eye for an eye" code in favor of "turning the other cheek" only apply to individuals...and civilian (i.e. non-military) ones at that? Sure, you can point out that Jesus didn't tell the Centurion to leave the army, but by extension would you say that he then supported the warfare of the Roman Army? Clearly, Jesus calls us individually to a high calling with a high price, why should we be appalled when nations choose not to resist the evildoer and not to return evil for evil?

Am I sorry that Korea will now be restricting Christian missionaries from going to Afghanistan? Sure, it would be better if they could go. On the other hand, the peaceful resolution of this issue and the respect shown by Korea to those who don't deserve it just might work on the hearts of the terrorists. If we believe in grace and forgiveness and the power of love, maybe we should give them a try. This may end up being a more powerful witness than what could be accomplished by Korean missionaries on the ground. At least I pray that it might be, because I am willing to trust the power of God over human power to work.

Blog you later,
Pastor Ian