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But this is not how we are perceived today in most of the world. We have taken our big gun out of the holster and are waving it around quite freely. Such actions, and our belligerent tone, when combined with our even more extraordinary power, are threatening to make us one of the world's most disliked and disdained nations.

To worry over this is an expression of love for our country, not disloyalty. Surely Christians can acknowledge that no one deserves our unquestioning loyalty other than God himself, and that all other loyalties must be tested by biblical norms such as justice, mercy, and generosity of spirit. For Christians to feel that they must squash honest reflection on such troubling developments in the name of patriotism risks national idolatry and grave disobedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Where do we go from here? Having started this war with Iraq, we need to fight it cleanly. When it is over, we will need to invest billions of dollars along with a sustained and skillful diplomatic effort to help the Iraqi people make the transition to democracy rather than collapse into civil war. Our president needs to tell us regularly that this massive level of investment in another country will require sacrifices in our own land, sacrifices that could cut deeply into our luxurious way of life and even cost us a tax cut or two.

At the same time we need to begin repairing the damage to our relationships with other nations. We need to invest deeply in an even-handed effort to bring a peaceful and just two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We need to look for ways to exercise our power, and spend our money, in a manner that clearly demonstrates a humane concern for the world's most powerless and suffering people. The recent promise of $15 billion to fight AIDS in Africa is a great example.

Acting in these ways will not only reduce international resentment, but also reflect the moral values for which we are fighting as our bombs fall in Baghdad this day.

David P. Gushee is the Graves Associate Professor of Moral Philosophy and the Senior Fellow of the Center for Christian Leadership at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He recently co-authored the book Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context.

Opinions expressed in Speaking Out do not necessarily reflect the views of Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Previous articles and papers on war by David P. Gushee include:

Justice and the Just War—Beliefnet.com

The Christian tradition on war and peace—Union University (Dec. 8, 2001)

On the Brink of War: Finding a Distinctive Christian Voice—Baptist Press (Sept. 26, 2001)

Previous Christianity Today articles and commentary on the current war with Iraq include:

Standing for Peace on the Eve of War | Christian group seeks nonviolent solution in Iraq. (March 12, 2003)

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

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March (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47