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As the world's only superpower, the United States bears grave responsibilities of leadership. Sometimes we must use force, and sometimes restraint. Sometimes we must act against world opinion. Popular psychiatrist M. Scott Peck makes an intriguing observation:

It is notable that two hundred years ago this new nation spent virtually no money and no energy attempting to control the behavior of the other nations of the world. Yet one by one, almost ten by ten, the peoples of these nations followed our spiritual and political example to seek the same freedoms for themselves. It is hard to escape the conclusion that in the years since, our political and spiritual leadership has declined in inverse proportion to the increasing amounts of money and effort we have expended to manipulate other countries. … I wonder, if we in the United States were to concentrate—as our overwhelmingly major priority—on making ourselves the best possible society we can be, whether the nations of the world might once again, without any pressure except the influence of example, begin to emulate us.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related articles from Christianity Today include:

Vanity Watch | America can do better than merely mirror the naïveté of our enemies. (May 28, 2003)

Spittle and Self-Righteousness | Beware of responding too indignantly to those on the other side of the war debate. (March 28, 2003)

Speaking Out: Where Do We Go From Here? | Now that the bombs are falling, we'll need to repair Iraq—and our nation's moral standing. (March 21, 2003)

Weapons of the Spirit | Regardless of their positions on Iraq, Christians have much they can do. (Feb. 25, 2003)

Opinion Roundup: Is Attacking Iraq Moral? | Christian leaders disagree, too. (September 4, 2003)

For more Christianity Today coverage of the war with Iraq, see CT's World Report.

Previous Yancey columns for Christianity Today include:

God of the Maggies | In broken sinners, Jesus saw not their past but their future. (April 25, 2003)

Perestroika of the Spirit | In Russia, the vocabulary of faith needs interpreters. (March 5, 2003)

Jesus' Sword | Longing for peace in tumultuous times. (Jan. 7, 2002)

Guilt Good and Bad | The early warning signs. (Nov. 11, 2002)

God's Funeral | What will keep faith from nearly disappearing in America? (Sept. 3, 2002)

Sheepish | Feeling autonomous and proud? Then ponder the lives of sheep. (July 2, 2002)

Servant in Chief | Jimmy Carter's journey from the White House to building houses.(May 28, 2002)

Why Do They Hate Us? | How to turn the Baywatch syndrome into the Jesus syndrome. (March 27, 2002)

Honest Church Marketing | We enhance our 'image' by offering the world a realistic picture of faith. (October 24, 2001)

Compassion Confusion | We should serve the needy even when it has bad political consequences. (August 28, 2001)

Fixing Our Weakest Link | Evangelicals should be more "needful of the minds of others." (July 13, 2001)

Replenishing the Inner Pastor | Churches should take greater interest in their shepherds' spiritual health. (May 14, 2001)

Beyond Flesh and Blood | I used to disdain biblical talk of "invisible spirits." No more. (Mar. 27, 2001)

God at Large | A look around the globe reveals a God as big as we want him to be. (Jan. 31, 2001)

Humility's Many Faces | Everyone I've looked up to has shared one trait. (Dec. 4, 2000)

Getting a Life | The most fully alive persons are those who give their lives away. (Oct. 16, 2000)

Yancey's Where is God When it Hurts, Special Edition and Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church are available on Christianbook.com.

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July 2003, Vol. 47, No. 7