Embracing Love and Justice
“It is only through love that a warfighter can flourish as a warfighter qua just warfighter”
-Marc LiVecche-
Some Christians have an understanding of original sin, the sin resulting from acts of violation of God’s commands committed by the first human parents, Adam and Eve, as something that has a destructive impact, not only on them but on all of humanity. Augustine was one of the church fathers who had the doctrine of original sin. According to Augustine, “man was created with a free will which means that human nature was created with the possibility, but not the necessity to sin. The fall of man leads to a redirection of man’s will away from God to the world and its changeable, finite goods – causing man to lose his original free will and to become enslaved to sin. This fall-away of man’s will was an unexplainable act whose cause is deficient – for there is no cause. Desire, a natural tendency, becomes after the fall and en-slaving concupiscence.”[1] One of the human desires is the desire to injure or kill others. Maybe we can say we don’t agree with murder, war, genocide, and so on. But we still have to be careful if inside us there is a certain “pleasure” when we see people who are classified as criminals being killed. Marc LiVecche writes, “I find it sometimes hard not to take joy in the death of the wicked.”[2]
If humans are not careful with this particular passion, the impact can be dangerous to humans, especially their mental health. LiVecche in his book shows clearly the impact of the war and the killings that occurred in it. One of those is PTSD. He writes, “Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has long been recognized as a psychiatric wound among warfighters, there is an increasing recognition that something else is at play as well. Many combat veterans suffer symptoms atypical to their PTSD diagnosis. Many do not present— or do not only present— the paranoia, hypervigilance, or other typical responses to life- threatening ordeals. Instead— or additionally— they display what is best described as soul wounds: crippling degrees of guilt, shame, sorrow, or remorse.”[3] On the other hand, when a soldier has to murder in war, the potential for moral injury is very large. According to research cited by LiVecche, “Moral injury has proved to be the chief predictor of combat veteran suicide.”[4]
Even though war has many negative impacts, it has occurred throughout human history until today. This is because there are still groups of people who are hungry for power and wealth and who want to seize it from other countries. Even though there was a war that occurred, it wasn’t because of that. The theory of just war, namely war that arises as an effort to protect those who are weak, poor, and persecuted, allows war to occur.[5] However, LiVecche also warned, “Although, in a just war, there is cause, and even obligation, for pride in a hard and necessary duty done with probity, compassion, and honor, there is also cause, and even obligation, for lament.”[6] This means that the impact of just war remains large and also has the potential to bring harm to many people, including yourself.
Niebuhr, as quoted by LiVecche, shows that human historicity, the concepts of justice and love, although often seen as two paradoxical things in life, can be two complementary ideas. But reality also shows that humans often have to choose justice to realize love. “Niebuhr emphasized that just because perfect love is a Christian obligation, there is also an obligation to realize justice.”[7] According to Niebuhr, justice sometimes conflicts with perfect love. However, for him, if we fail to strive for justice, at that moment we are in opposition to perfect love.[8] Niebuhr’s view emphasizes that the contradiction between love and justice must sometimes be acknowledged in reality. This means that Niebuhr invited Christianity to move from an attitude of total pacifism towards justice as an embodiment of total love. Using Niebuhr’s approach, LiVecche wants to reconcile human internal conflicts about war and killing in war. I have no objection to that view. For me, it certainly really helps me as a Christian leader in addressing and responding to this phenomenon. Although deep in my heart, I still have hope that love and total justice can coexist together without going through war (and the killing in it).
Perhaps for many people, this idea is just a utopia. But I believe in what Peter B. Ely, former associate professor of theology and religious studies at Seattle University in his book Adam and Eve in Scripture, Theology, and Literature, says, the narrative of Adam and Eve and their fall into sin means that humans are basically good, but humans have deviated from their original goodness. Therefore, for Ely, the way back is compassion and forgiveness.[9] This means that if everyone truly felt what love and forgiveness are, then hatred and war could be eliminated. If everyone felt the depth of the meaning of love and forgiveness, then everyone would realize goodness and justice for each other and all creation without discrimination. This is the task of Christianity. This is our job as churches and leaders, to spread and share love and truth. I then remember what Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth write in their book, Exploring Wicked Problem, “Our challenge is twofold: to make changes in ourselves while at the same time we are making changes in the world.”[10] Thus, the Bible prophecy will be fulfilled, “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” (Psalm. 85:10).
[1] Vorster, N. “Calvin’s Modification of Augustine’s Doctrine of Original Sin.” In die Skriflig 44, Supplement 3 (2010): 79-80.
[2] Marc LiVecche, The Good Kill: Just War and Moral Injury (Oxford University Press, 2021), 146.
[3] Ibid, 3
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid, 107.
[6] Ibid, 119.
[7] Ibid, 63.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Peter B. Ely, Adam and Eve in Scripture, Theology, and Literature: Sin, Compassion and Forgiveness (Maryland: Lexington Books, 2018), 15.
[10] Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problem: What They are and Why They are Important (Bloomington, IN: Archway Publishing, 2020), 223.
About the Author
Dinka Utomo
Dinka Nehemia Utomo is an ordained pastor of the Protestant Church in the Western part of Indonesia (Gereja Protestan di Indonesia bagian Barat or GPIB). He has served for more than 15 years. The first five years of his ministry were in the remote area of East Kalimantan, including people from the indigenous Dayak tribe in the small villages in the middle of the forest, frequently reached using small boats down the river. For more than 15 years, Dinka has served several GPIB congregations in several cities in Indonesia. He has always had a passion for equipping Christian families, teaching and guiding them to build equal relations between husband and wife, maintaining commitment, love, and loyalty, creating a healthy and constructive Christian family atmosphere, and rejecting all forms of violence and sexual violence. Dinka's beloved wife, Verra, is also a GPIB pastor. They have two blessed children. Dinka and his wife and children love to spend quality family time, such as lunch or dinner, and vacation to exotic places.8 responses to “Embracing Love and Justice”
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I’m with you Dinka. I’d love to see an end to all war…and the Bible promises we will when Jesus returns with total justice. In the meantime we embody the heart of our savior in love for others.
Thanks for pointing out Niebuhr’s call for Christians to “move from an attitude of total pacifism towards justice as an embodiment of total love”. I’d missed this and I think it’s an incredibly powerful framework.
Hi Tim! Thank you for your response. I really appreciate it.
Niebuhr’s views really helped me to approach the struggle about this topic that I have been struggling with for a long time. From his perspective, I can then take a stance on how a church leader should respond to this matter.
Oh Dinka, your post is so well written and challenging. Your emphasis on love is so true and necessary. Thank you so much, sir. I have an easy question for you. How has war impacted your country directly or indirectly?
Hi Todd! Thank you for your comment. I appreciate it!
Our country was colonized for approximately 3 centuries. From this colonization, our nation, which consists of many ethnic groups and languages, learned what unity means. That is why, the motto that we still adhere to today is, “diverse but still one” (in Bahasa: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika).
The indirect impact of war in the modern era for our nation today is that our country’s currency rate tends to be weak so that wars in other parts of the world can make the prices of goods higher. Wars carried out by other countries can also influence differences in political views among our society. For example, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there are those who support one side, there are many who support the other side.
Dinka,
This was a great post! Thank you for drawing my attention to Niebuhr. His view of justice and perfect love was an interesting one. I would have missed it, if not for your analysis.
You wrote: “For me, it certainly really helps me as a Christian leader in addressing and responding to this phenomenon. Although deep in my heart, I still have hope that love and total justice can coexist together without going through war (and the killing in it).” I agree with you. I’m not sure if I am a Pacifist but I do wish to see the end of all wars and senseless killings.
Hi Jonita!
Thank you for your response. I appreciate it!
I used to think I was a total Pacifist. But Niebuhr’s views help me to approach questions of love and justice more clearly. Niebuhr clearly emphasized that justice that is enforced is a manifestation of total love. I was greatly helped by this perspective. However, if asked further, I hope that total love and justice can be realized without going through war. Hopefully!
Dinka,
I share that hope, my friend. It is one of things I pray for continually.
Hi Dinka,
Nice post.
You wrote, ” I then remember what Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth write in their book, Exploring Wicked Problem, “Our challenge is twofold: to make changes in ourselves while at the same time we are making changes in the world.”[10]”
Yes, war seems to be a never ending “wicked problem.” My desire in recommending this book was to sensitize pastors (like your self) to the eventuality of war. In preparing our sons and daughter to go into battle we may save them from catastrophic Moral Injury and Moral Bruising.
Shalom…