Who Claims Our Loyalty?

David Milne

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to depend on human leaders.”  Psalm 118, v. 19

I was reading this psalm on the morning of the day when the new President, Barack Obama, arrived in Ottawa.  My memory stirred up the image of another new President.

About fifty years ago President Kennedy took office.  In his early forties, he was extremely young for the office.  Moreover, he was a Roman Catholic, the first ever to become President.  In a fit of hyperbole the press likened his administration to Camelot, an idyllic place of happiness and enlightenment.  As an idealistic teenager, and even though Canadian, I shared that dream.

One of the critical decisions the young President Kennedy faced fifty years ago was whether to withdraw American military advisors and a small number of troops from Vietnam.  The French had just fought and lost a war there.  A few advisors told him that the Vietnamese were fighting against colonialism, which America ostensibly opposed, and that he ought to withdraw the troops.  Of course, he saw the spread of communism as the source of the conflict and increased American military involvement.  Communism survived another three decades and has withered for reasons not related to military action.

President Obama, like President Kennedy, promises to make a difference and I confess that were I an American I would have worked for his election.  He too faces a choice about American military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Though he opts for military withdrawal from Iraq, he will increase the number of troops in Afghanistan and seek military victory like his predecessor in Vietnam.  He believes that the ‘War on Terror’ can be won by troops.  I foresee more deaths, mostly Afghanis, and the ultimate withdrawal of foreign troops, leaving at best a coalition government or a Taliban dominated one in an already ruined country.  And the terrorists will find another hiding place. 

I used the verse from Psalm 118 to highlight that as people of faith we must work through human leaders but ultimately we trust in G*d’s wisdom to instruct us.  Sometimes that means opposing our leaders. 

It would be disingenuous not to note that the psalmist of #118 was giving thanks to G*d for victories over his enemies.  I refer, however, to the understanding of G*d’s will for us as expressed by Micah and as shown and taught by Jesus.  G*d wants us to work for peace not to make war. 

I will pray that President Obama rejects the use of military force and seeks peaceful means to bring about change.