make love not war

I read an interesting article called "Six Floors of Sunday School Classrooms: To What End?" that talks about the Lutheran Doctrine of Vocation on IMonk. The most interesting (and comforting) part of this doctrine to me is the assertion that all vocations are equally pleasing to God. This is a big departure from those who believe that God is super happy with nuns and pastors and missionaries, but only kind of happy with firemen and nurses and bankers. The article also asserts that each person has more than one vocation, and by fulfilling each with integrity you honor God - I honor God through my vocation of US citizen by paying taxes and voting, and I honor God through my wife vocation by speaking lovingly to Ben.

Can you put adorable little-girl bedrooms in the same square inch as nuclear war? Well, here goes:

I read some shocking news today. Secret Iranian documents have been discovered detailing the nation's plan to build and test the neutron initiator, the part of a nuclear bomb that triggers an explosion. Western officials and United Nations officials are now investigating and evaluating those documents. This blows the lid off any Iranian claims that they are only using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes - to build nuclear power plants. They are not telling the truth. The whole world knows their true intentions.

Now, Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyah will very soon make the crucial decision of whether to make a pre-emptive military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. The consequences of this decision are of utmost importance to every person on the planet. If Israel were to strike Iran's nuclear facilities (which they feel they must do, because they cannot allow Iran to create a nuclear bomb since Iran's president has declared he plans to "wipe Israel off the map"), other Middle Eastern nations will come to Iran's defense and lash out against Israel, which will involve the US, which will then involve the whole West........

If you are a praying person, this is a matter that deserves priority status in our conversations with God.