How do we as Americans, Christians, Followers of Jesus view such a question? Is it from the viewpoint of modern real politick, or from history, or from the Old Testament or the New. Or…all of the above.
I’d say that the modern and immediate pragmatic view would be for America to do what it’s doing (with UN, Arab League, African Union and NATO support).
However, the historical viewpoint of American intervention in such situations does not bode well. Our track record of supporting an insurgency over the current regime hasn’t gone to plan in almost all cases (don’t want to list those all here, but I’m guessing we’d all agree at some level that this is true).
So that leaves us with the Old and New Testaments as a grid for interpreting such crisis and the intervention of nations and/or of Christians.
I read the Old through the New (doesn’t negate the Old, but simply reads it though the lens of Christ). So that leaves us bombing Libyans or rescuing other Libyans (through bombing) and… Attempting to justify that through the lens of Jesus. As well-intentioned as I assume we are, it just doesn’t seem possible.
What do you think? Is there a scenario that “we” (whether that is the “we” of believers or the “we” of Americans/Brits), can justify such an act of liberation/aggression?
