Children Don’t Just Die
And when does that penny drop?
Looking back at disasters that have made the news over the years I think I can safely say that at least 95% were man made. Whether that be from us tampering with the environment, corruption, incomptence, war or shoddy buildings. Nature may be red in tooth and claw but there is a rhythm to it. It might be distressing to watch lions tearing at a hapless deer and even taking chunks before the poor creature breaths its last. Life is cruel. Losing loved ones may be distressing but death will, and must, come to us.
Looking back through history it’s difficult to draw any other conclusion than that wars simply happen. Maybe there will come a time when wars cease — and it’s not a silly aspiration — but it’s difficult to see how that’s going to come about. We live within a gamut of undesirable but unavoidable outcomes. As Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you” (Matt 26:11). It’s not desirable and doesn’t have to be the case but for all intents and purpose we have to accept it. It can’t be avoided.
If war is inevitable then children will die. The cleanest and most moral war (if there can be such as thing) will kill children and indiscriminately. All upheaval hurts the most vulnerable most acutely. It’s said that you can judge a society by how it treats the most vulnerable so it stands to reason…
