The Battles We Choose

The varying philosophies on foreign policy are intriguing to me. Relating to differing cultures and how they govern has a deep past in world history. What's even been more interesting to me is the study of international conflict. Deciding what's worth defending, when to defend, where to take the stand and who the stand is actually against are ever so critical when tensions are already at a fever pitch. In many cases, the battle lines are drawn long before a fight begins. Values define the battle. When one nation or people group decide that the only way to resolve a difference of viewpoint is to battle it out, the value for them says why they are literally fighting. Have you ever questioned why two nations decide to fight? Has there been a moment where you've sensed the seeming uselessness of a battle?

In everyday life, the battles we choose can be as equally complicated. Last Saturday illustrated this once again for me. How can emotions get so out of control so quickly at an 8 year old basketball game...and, not among the players, but their parents? Enthusiasm and passion can turn into immature reactions when unguarded. My son's team was up by one point with only seconds left in the game. Both sides of the crowd were engaged in the game with raised voices. The other team had the ball with the urgent drive to the rim only to be abruptly interrupted by a foul to stop the clock. When my son's friend made the foul, a player from the opposing team leaped from the bench to tackle him down before a free throw was ever set up. In nothing less than a snap of a finger, my son's friend's father was down from the stands onto the court yelling "Game Over!" with me by his side. And, the game was over for more reasons than one. A little later in the evening came an explosion of insight into this community uprising by way of a text to me from a friend after the game... The father of the boy who tackled my son's friend was wearing a t-shirt with this message on the back: "fighting solves everything".

My commentary is simple: We need to keep our values in check...by asking ourselves the more probing question, "What do my choices mean in light of eternity?" When it comes to our children, sure, the battle line has already been drawn. But battles are chosen by our convictions - our beliefs, which need to be reevaluated against the backdrop of eternal significance before we throw the first punch or retaliate accordingly.

"We teach what we know; we reproduce what we are."