How Do We Love in a Time of War? (on overturned temple tables, Ukraine, the United States, and God’s people)

I haven’t been writing lately because I’ve recently learned how unimpressive my credentials are.

Compared to my countless friends on social media, I am seriously lacking in the necessary experience to address the latest controversies.

Before you read any further, I warn you that I am not:

• an expert in the intricacies of international diplomacy and peacemaking.
• proficient in the detailed biographies (both acknowledged and/or previously unrevealed/undisclosed or redacted) of Zelenskyy, Putin, or Trump.
• privy to the backroom workings of either the Democratic or the Republican parties.
• a world-renowned scholar on either the rise of Hitler or the fall of democracies to communism.
• an end-times prophet with special knowledge of either the anti-Christ, Gog and Magog, or God’s current relationship with any of the aforementioned world leaders.
• someone with access to a close friend, neighbor, coworker, relative, former pastor or professor, second-cousin or secret friend who is any of the above.

Not that I don’t have opinions. “Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!” Psalm 120:6-7 ESV

• I hate war.
• I love freedom.
• Life is better than death.
• Peacemaking is often ugly and it’s not a spectator sport.
• Truth is the first casualty of war.
• It’s wrong to initiate aggression.
• It’s easy to have opinions from the cheap seats.
• “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 ESV

The latest Facebook feeding frenzy has been a boon to my resolve to reduce my time on social media. My friends are shouting without censor, unfriending with fervor, and spewing righteous rage so hot I use oven mitts to check my phone.

Honestly, you would think, from the number of times I’ve seen it cited, that Jesus overturned the tables at the temple in Jerusalem daily for His entire ministry. I’ve seen it used to justify at least a million memes.

I’m not discouraged when I learn that friends or others I respect see situations differently than I see them. What discourages me is when I see condemnation, labels, ultimatums, refusal to dialog, and happy division emerging from these disagreements.

Dear friends, don’t we know? “How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.” Psalm 133:1-3 ESV

I don’t understand how all these people shouting into the social media-verse are such experts on peace when apparently, they aren’t even capable of peaceful dialog with people who share the same faith and live in the same country.

These days are testing my faith. I am asking God so many questions. 

Questions like:

• Besides the Bible, in the midst of this flood of deception, where do we turn for truth?
• How do we know when it is sinful to speak and when it’s sinful to remain silent?
• Do you want Christians communicators to be debating online or is it time to go completely local and analog with these conversations?
• How do we maintain peace with one another even when we differ on current events?
• Besides intercession, what actions can we take, as believers, to best support your people in Ukraine, in Russia, in Europe, in China, in Mexico, in Canada, in the U.S.?
• How can we best reflect Jesus when we disagree?

This is not a dress rehearsal. This is our life, our lot, and our front line. There are not numerous wars around the world. There is one war. It is the war for souls and God invites our engagement on every front.

• How do we wage peace?
• How do we sow seeds of relationship as we disagree?
• How do we discuss, differ, and debate from a foundation of grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?

I’m not an expert on many things. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I study His every move. I read His every Word. I have thrown my lot in with Him. He is my peace even as the battle rages. He is my commander in chief. He is the truth. the way. the life.

From the beginning of time until now, there have always been men and women, kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, dictators and diplomats exchanging words in high level rooms seated in leather chairs, surrounded by aides supplying fresh lemon water and delicacies while mothers and young wives holding babies beat their breasts beside freshly dug graves and young men exchange bicycles and video games for automatic rifles and sit with shaking hands praying not to have to die or to kill.

And the church has always found a way to continue to love–even under fire.

• How do we love one another through this?
• What are we adding to the peace? to the conversation? to the truth?
• What earthly weapons are we willing to lay down so we are free to take up the weapons that are not of this world?
• Who will we follow and how will we lead those who follow us in this frought time?
• What questions are WE asking? And what questions is God asking US?

Putin, Zelenskyy, and Trump have a certain amount of power. How much power have we yielded to these leaders over ourselves and our relationships, our behavior, our  time, our peace? In the end we’ll find they had less eternal influence than one single soul completely yielded to Christ. Are we that soul?

Thoughts? I respond to every comment and reply to every email.

https://t.co/nkd2cLGSDP #Ukraine #Zelenskyy

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) March 3, 2025