Views from the Pews: In these challenging times God asks us to prepare for peace

I begin by saying that the column Views from the Pews is not a political column, but one cannot help but be worried by global events and the impact they have.

As a reservist chaplain in the Royal Army Chaplains Department, I hear much talk about where we will be in the next few years, and the rhetoric is laden with a call to change our mindset to a war footing.

This year marks 80 years since VE Day (Victory in Europe), and in August we remember VJ Day (Victory over Japan).

As those memories of past conflicts come to mind there is an uneasy similarity between the political noise of World War Two and today.

How did people react to the build up of hostilities?

How would we react as a wider society? Different?

In Matthew 22 when Christ is asked, “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?”

He replies: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all you mind”. This is the greatest commandment.

The second is that you shall “Love your neighbour as yourself”. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. It is in these testing times that Christ once again lays out that challenge to us.

It is a challenge that has been set for thousands of years and one, that if we get right, will transform our world where we see each other as children of God, made in his image, granted the gift of life and free will to create and make this world the Eden God designed. Within our challenge to prepare for war, we are also asked to prepare for peace.