Onward Christian soldiers?

Although I am convinced that believers should be men or women of peace in the way they conduct their everyday lives, that doesn't prohibit anyone belonging to the faith from pursuing a career in the military.

PEACE-KEEPERS

We need able soldiers with of high personal integrity to protect our borders from the possible onslaught of e.g international terrorism. And also I think we definitely should contribute troops to areas of the world where armed conflicts threaten the stability of just rule, or inflict untold misery on the innocent and deprived.

For one, I wholeheardtedly support the concept of peace-keeping missions. We are our brothers' keepers to some extent, simply because being human involves intervening where our own security, interests or well-being are not even in the least in jeopardy. We should not remain cynical bystanders to pain and suffering, even when that pain and suffering has been caused by internal strife or premeditated injustices brought on the civilians by corrupt governments.

Christians belong in the heat of peace-keeping efforts, too. Not in order to achieve hero status for doing something out of the ordinary, but simply as living proof that we're not people devoted to seclusion, detachment or aloofness in regard to a world which is 'mired in sin'. Because we care, or, rather, should care about politics and matters relating to this world in general, our attention and participation is certainly called for.

ARE WE BETTER SOLDIERS?

Does this imply that the peace-keeping efforts will enjoy greater success when or where Christians are involved? Certainly not. A soldiers should, among other things, be evaluated by standards commonly applied to any soldier dispatched from a civilized country, be he atheist, agnostic or born-again. But the Christian GI should - when facing combat - represent decency, compassion and integrity in dealing with his guerilla enemy. Fighting is always a bloody mess, but the hand that holds the gun could also be the hand that gently raises the wounded to their feet.