On My Heart to Talk About War
War has been on my heart again. Not just as a topic of history or politics, but as something deeply spiritual—something that reveals what is in the human heart. I feel led to gather some thoughts and experiences together in the hope that hearts might turn away from war and toward the peace of Christ.
On My Heart to Talk About War
I have it on my heart to talk about war. Maybe it’s because of that final war the Bible speaks of— the battle of Armageddon, the war to end all wars. We all know what war is, but if you’re like me, you may not have spent much time truly thinking about it.
I want to begin with a simple definition.
What Is War?
War is a conflict involving organized weapons and physical force between nations or large groups. Each side holds territory, each has leaders who can surrender or collapse, and wars usually arise from disputes over sovereignty, land, resources, religion, or ideology. A war to free an occupied nation is called a war of liberation. A war within a nation is a civil war. Until the end of World War II, nations often issued formal declarations of war.
How Does a War Begin?
In my view, war begins with propaganda.
Propaganda is biased communication designed to shape beliefs, attitudes, and emotions. It selectively presents information—often omitting truth—to push a population toward a particular agenda. It doesn’t appeal to reason; it appeals to emotion. And once enough people believe the message, war becomes possible.
Who Decides, and Who Dies?
The ones who declare war are almost never the ones who fight it. And the ones who die are often those who wanted no part in it.
Many who fight do so because they had no other choice. Some believe killing is justified, but I often wonder: if they knew the full truth behind the conflict, would they still feel the same?
My Experience During Vietnam
I grew up in the United States during the Vietnam conflict. We had the draft. When your number came up, you were inducted—usually into the infantry—and sent to Vietnam. If you were physically able, you had to go or be labeled a “draft dodger.” Some avoided service because they had connections. For most of us, it felt like “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”
I enlisted, hoping it might keep me out of Vietnam, but it didn’t. I thank God that while I was there, I was never put in a situation where I had to kill or be killed.
I still remember coming home. We were told not to wear our uniforms. Anti-war sentiment was rising, and returning soldiers were often shamed.
A Story From the Quaker Tradition
I’ve been attending a Friends (Quaker) church for a while now. Quakers do not believe in war. That wasn’t why I started going—I didn’t know much about them at first—but I learned more over time.
Recently, I met a couple from Costa Rica who shared their family’s experience during the Vietnam era. They lived in the United States then. The father received his draft notice but claimed conscientious objector status, as Quakers often do. What happened next was heartbreaking.
They were farmers, and the government required them to give up more than half their produce “for the war effort.” Other Quakers, who weren’t farmers, were forced into chemical experiments. It became so unbearable that many Quakers left the United States entirely and settled in Costa Rica. There is still a large Quaker community there today.
Stories like this exist in many nations. If you look at your own country’s history, you will likely find similar injustices.
Why Do We Believe What Leads to War?
Why do we allow ourselves to be swept up by messages that lead to killing? Why do we let propaganda override conscience?
If humanity cannot change, I fear that the future war—the one many believe will be nuclear— could truly happen. Some think it will destroy the earth entirely.
The Only Hope I See
I pray that we see our true selves before that day comes—that we repent and ask Jesus to be Lord. I see no other way.
Jesus once spoke of a wicked generation demanding a sign. He said the only sign they would receive was the sign of Jonah. Jonah went to Nineveh, a wicked city, and proclaimed only one message: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be destroyed.” The people believed God. All of them repented.
Could Jesus have been hinting that one day, all will repent?
I pray so. Because if humanity ever turns from war, it will not be because of weapons, governments, or treaties—but because hearts changed.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the Prince of Peace. We confess that our world has been shaped by war, fear, and the power of propaganda more than by Your truth and love. Open our eyes to see how easily we are led into conflict, and soften our hearts to turn away from violence.
Teach us to love our enemies, to seek justice without hatred, and to listen to Your Spirit instead of the voices that call us to destroy. May nations, leaders, and ordinary people alike be moved to repentance, just as Nineveh was, and may Your peace rule in our hearts.
We ask that You bring an end to wars—both the ones fought with weapons and the ones fought in our hearts. Be Lord over our thoughts, our words, and our actions, and lead us into the kind of love that makes war impossible.
In Your holy name we pray, Amen.
