When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away. – Luke 21:9

Today's Scripture Reading (February 7, 2024): Luke 21

John Lennon once said, "If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace." The Ten Commandments warn us not to covet, not to want what it is that our neighbor possesses. The Ten Commandments fail to mention that this is one of the root causes of war: wanting what someone else owns or being willing to do whatever is necessary to get an extra television. But until the wanting ends, war will always be with us. Unfortunately, it is part of the human condition.

One of the significant misperceptions is that wars and rumors of war are signs of Christ's predicted return or a gateway into the end times. It is the line that I hear from friends who are convinced that Jesus is coming soon; our newscasts sometimes seem to be filled with wars and rumors of wars, with assassinations and retributions. Sometimes, the question that is posed to me is this: How can you watch the news and not believe that Jesus is coming soon?

It surprises some people that Jesus's message was not that wars and rumors of wars would be the signs of the end, but instead that Jesus admits that these things are part of the human condition. Conflict is always present in our lives because we covet and refuse to allow God to be our enough and lead us into contentment. Our focus should not be on the idea that we don't have the luxuries that our neighbors possess but rather that people in this world need our help. We are led to wars and conflicts because we covet more often than we give to those who have less. Jesus's comment is not that catastrophes are a sign of the end but that they are a symptom of the devastation that exists at the center of our souls.

We live in a world that always seems to be in conflict with itself as we chase after that extra television. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, dreamed of a society that could get past its materialistic tendencies. It was a place where money had no meaning, hunger had been dealt with, and we wanted peace more than we desired to get another television. But even within his vision, there was conflict. The Romulans and Klingons were a threat, and every once in a while, Captain Kirk got into a fight with someone. Wars and rumors of wars were part of even Roddenberry's hopeful vision of the future.

When we hear of wars and rumors of wars, we need to pray that God would enter into the conflict and heal the wounds. The Christian Church should be a great force for peace, but the fact that wars still exist is not proof that Jesus is coming soon, but that we are humans who are still coveting and chasing after the extra things that we want but that we don't need. We are still a society that desperately needs redemption and help from the one who created us and still loves us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 26

See Also Matthew 24:6