apprehension

so I casually follow the news now that I am a Google addict. Google's Reader makes it fairly easy, especially since I can check news items out on my phone. typically I'm checking out sports stuff, Mariners and whatnot, which is most entertaining for me.

but I get a lot of Fox news items when I'm online, and I've seen a lot of stuff that has me wondering what the world will look like in the next 6 months. I'm curious if the stuff in Iran is going to keep escalating and another revolution will take place. I honestly doubt a full-scale revolution will happen again in Tehran in my lifetime, yet I'm left wondering if perhaps the democratic ideals in place in Iraq aren't having an influence next door. needless to say, I'm going to be watching and praying; watching to see if change in a harsh environment is possible, and praying that blood isn't shed and lives aren't lost.

I'm almost positive a "conflict" is on the horizon with N. Korea. Too much is in contention. my gut feeling is there'll be some kind of skirmish in the near future. the pacifist in me hates that it would come to this; logically, the removal of Kim Jong-Il's regime would precipitate less potential violence, and I'm all for less violence in the long run, but I'm all for less violence period. Shane Claiborne taught me a while back (when I was reading and his books were in my list) that violence doesn't solve violence. violence begets violence just as peace begets peace. unfortunately I cannot rely on any party involved in this conflagration to be the peacemaker. truth is, the only peacemaker I can rely on is Jesus, and I can only rely on my own peaceful intentions as far as my fallen human flesh can take me.

so, I will be praying. praying for world events, praying that WW3 will never exist, praying that leaders of nations will speak peaceful words of wisdom, praying that God will intervene for His holy purposes and that those who need to do what He needs them to do will, in fact, do what they need to do.

times are always troubling. history repeats itself. wars and rumors of wars have been around for a logn long time. I'm not predicting the apocalypse, nor am I using isolated events as indicators of the end times. I'm just praying for peace on earth and goodwill toward man.

I'm praying for Jesus to come back.