Today’s Scripture
Reading (December 13, 2015): Joshua 22
In the early moments after the San Bernardino shooting, the
big question that was being asked was why it had happened. The earliest reports
indicated that someone had had a fight inside of a Christmas Party that was
taking place in the building and had left and then returned with two others and
started shooting. The theory was later debunked. There had been no fight that
morning. Then reports of the massive number of weapons and ammunition that they
assailants were carrying began to emerge, along with the existence of
explosives. We wondered if there was a terrorist connection, but we still had
questions. Backgrounds on the subjects began to surface, an internet guided
meeting, the woman was labelled as an Islamic extremist who may have been trolling
the internet in search of a gullible American husband who she could hold
control over. There were messages made in favor of the Islamic State, but
questions about whether the Islamic State even knew of the couple’s existence before
the blast, thinking that that might also be an important piece to the puzzle. President
Obama lagged behind even his own advisers in labelling the attack a terrorist
event, trying to keep his options open as the search for truth continued. But
finally even he had to agree that the San Bernardino attacks were at the very
least “terrorist inspired.” But the questions continued to rage. We may have
more answers to our questions but there are still others that are buzzing
around us. And they all seem to start with “why.” Why the timing? Why the
target? Why a mild mannered employee who rarely spoke turned into a murderer
involved with terrorising his own friends – and incidentally terrorised and
killed even some who shared his own Islamic faith. Why?
The problem that I think the West has been slow to understand
is the why of the Islamic State? We can watch programs on the subject and still
not scratch the surface of the problem. The why is not necessarily what we
might want to believe it should be. It is ideological, but not totally. It is
based in the need for political power, but that isn’t the total answer. It is a
desire to be known, but that is only part of it. It is a desire to prove that
they are different from the West and that the West should simply leave them be,
but that isn’t the total answer either. It is a culture that has been born out
of violence and guns, often supplied by superpowers, trying to show the world
that they know what to do with the weapons, yet still nagging questions remain.
What is becoming clear is that full scale war against the United States is exactly
what the Islamic State desires, and therefore it might be the last thing that
we should give to them. This problem might have been started by weapons, but it
just might be that weapons will not be able to finish it. We must find another
way.
The Transjordan tribes finally return home to start to build
their lives. This portion of Israel existed on the East side of the Jordan
River and would be separated from the rest of the nation by that river. But on
their way home they paused and built a huge altar. And the tribes on the West
side of the Jordan gathered their troops ready to declare war on their
brothers. And the important question is why.
The reality is that both sides saw something different in the
act of building the altar. The altar itself was a replica of the one that had existed
in the tabernacle at Shiloh. This was why the Western tribes chose Shiloh as
their rallying place. For the Western tribes, the presence of the altar just
across the River Jordan was a declaration of Independence made by the
Transjordan Tribes. And the presence of the altar was in violation of Israel’s belief
that all the religious functions should be completed at the Shiloh. It was
obvious that from now on they planned to only sacrifice at the abomination of
an altar by the river – and to declare their independence from the Western
tribes. And that meant it was now time for war.
But that wasn’t really the “why” behind the altar. The
Transjordan tribes had built it as a reminder that a united Israel existed on
both sides of the Jordan River. And both sides wanted the exact same thing, a
unity between the tribes. But that was only revealed when they were willing to
stop and examine the why.
Today’s Scripture
Reading: Joshua 23
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