Everything Must Change

Sorry three blog posts, one day. It just happens sometimes.

I have been reading Brian McLaren's book "Everything Must Change" recently and it is pretty good. I am a little burnt because it is due back to the library today (and I can't renew it because its on hold), but I'll just check it out again later.

Its a pretty good read, and I would recommend it highly if you have a chance to read it (especially if you haven't read a McLaren book before [here's looking at you mom, Erine, and Adam]).

I am currently about 3/5 of the way through it and so far the middle section has been my favorite. There are some comments about war and our reaction (as followers of Jesus) to war. Its amazing that so many people insist that we follow "after God's values" and yet turn a deaf ear to the following (that McLaren points out):

"The US spends $100 per day to keep its weapons poised and ready for use in a preemptive strike.

The current US military budget is is larger than the next twenty-five nations combined. In other words, the strongest twenty-five countries in the world would have to switch from being US allies (as most of them are) to US enemies in order for the United States to be confronted by a greater force.

On top of these costs, we lose out on what Willain Fulbright has identified as the "brain drain" which is the use of our most brilliant engineers, scientists, and thinkers on military weapons rather than using them to develop alternative energy sources and other such productive things.

The US produces 53.4% of the world's weapons and 80% of the top buyers of US weapons were countries that our own State Department labeled undemocratic or countries know for their failure to uphold human rights. In 1999, the US supplied arms to 92% of the conflicts in process anywhere on our planet(!).

Between 1998 and 2001 the US (as well as Great Britain and France) earned more money from selling weapons to developing countries than they gave those developing countries in aid.

In the past decade, 43 million military personal and 62 million civilians were killed in war.


Please, please, if you are a follow of Jesus, stand up against this. It must not continue. Me we as brothers and sisters rise against this injustice and take a stand now. May we unite in our press for peace.