War is Hell

"Your father was not the same man when he came back from the war."

My mother revealed this to me one time after my father, a veteran of World War II, had died. The experience of war changed my father for the rest of his life. He came back with all his limbs and no major outward injury. But there was a mental toll. In those days they did not call it "post-traumatic stress syndrome." They were just expected to get on with life. And he did. He had a good life and provided well for his family. But deep inside his soul, life was forever altered.

I have been thinking about this in recent days as the news about the deplorable living conditions at one unit of Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington D.C. broke on the national scene. Army amputees living in Building 18 of the complex have had to suffer the indignity of run-down facilities, with rats and cockroaches in their rooms.

It seems that some officials knew about these and other poor conditions, but did not act decisively enough to correct the problems. There have been congressional hearings and now President Bush has appointed a special task force to investigate treatment conditions at all Veterans Administration facilities and to recommend steps for improvement. Let's hope this corrects the immediate problems and helps all veterans and their families receive the help they need and deserve.

But, as my father experienced, the wounds of war are psychological as well. Many thousands of servicemen and women will return from Iraq and Afghanistan with their lives changed by the experience. Let's hope they get the support from the Veterans Administration, from family and other concerned people to transition back into society and get on with the business of life. But experience tells me there will be a lot of disruption. To erase the memories of war, many will seek escape in alcohol and drugs. Other addictions like gambling or pornography will wreck lives. Divorce might seem like a solution, but in many cases the veterans will only carry the scars forward into another relationship.

This national lament is like what we read in Lamentations 1:15-16: "The Lord has trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst; He has called an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord trampled as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah. For these things I weep; my eye, my eye overflows with water; because the comforter, who should restore my life, is far from me. My children are desolate because the enemy prevailed."

An American Civil War general once said, "War is hell." This is the best three-word description you are likely to find of the effect of war on whole nations and within the minds of those who engage in its hideous exercise. Until the coming of Christ's Kingdom, war is destined to be the scourge of the earth. But until then, we have a duty to provide care and treatment for those who suffer its consequences. And we have the duty to fervently pray, "Thy kingdom come."

World News and Prophecy Commentary

In recent weeks we have added several thousand new subscribers to this e-newsletter. We welcome you and hope this biweekly letter provides useful information that helps you keep the right focus in today's world.

World News and Prophecy, in all its features, is more than just another Internet news service. We give you what other sites don't—the vital perspective of the Bible, showing God's view of your world and the future. Our view is not partisan ideology or that of any one government or nation. Our commentary is rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, a message that transcends the narrow interests of this world's governments. We know the only true hope for today's world lies in understanding the message Christ brought, the announcement of a coming world government with the only effective program for peace.

Keep Watching.