This week Prime Minister David Cameron and the British parliament had to make a serious decision on how they would respond to the plight faced by Syria from Islamic State in Syria ISIS. The decision to launch its offensive operation was voted on and agreed by Parliament. Although attacks are currently being made against Iraq, Cameron strongly believed the extension to carry out airstrikes into Syria was a necessity to deal a real blow to ISIS.
The democratic process in Britain is welcome, fair – allowing freedom of speech and brings about decisions that may not always be accepted by others. This was reflected in reprisals being experienced by Labour MPs who, following a free vote given by the leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn, voted with the government.
The decision to follow ones gut instincts, possibly along with facts, statistics and recommendations, serve as necessary ingredients for making informed decisions, such as acts of Parliament that will affect the stability and safety of the UK. The issue to be contemplated is also one of consideration pertaining to first and second generation Syrians living in the UK as British Citizens and the impact it will have upon them seeing their homeland and that of their foreparents being bombed by the country in which they currently reside and call home.
Violence is not a means of obtaining peace, but equally so, peace is sometimes not easily obtained in the absence of violence.
Jimmy Carter is quoted as saying, ‘War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.’
In the Bible we are pre-warned of ‘wars and rumours of wars’, and as a result we are called to be prepared to face the onset of violence presented by war.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ~ Matthew 24:6
Let us pray for our government and those in leadership, that they will be filled with Godly wisdom and peace will be our portion.