Mercy, not vengeance, brings reconciliation President Bush announced, "Kuwait is liberated," and that all offensive action was "suspended" only 100 hours after the ground war began. Then he added, "We must now look beyond victory in war. We must meet the challenge of securing the peace." To American ears, that may sound strange. Having, defeated Saddam Hussein the most villainous tyrant in my memory, and his formidable army whose crimes in occupied Kuwait are only beginning to be known with so few American casualities, peace already seems secure, George Weigel, head of the Ethics Public Policy Center and a rare Christian leader praising the war, felt vindicated. "Virtually everything in the parade of horrors on which the National Council of Churches and the Catholic Bishops based their opposition to this has been falsified.
There has been no mass Arab revolt. It has not led to a wider war. We have been supremely suceessful. There have not been 10,000 Not among Americans. But perhaps 100,000 Iraqis died.
And according to Reuter's Bernd Debusmann, it will cost $200 billion to rebuilt Iraq. "Five weeks of allied bombing have destroyed every single power plant, telecommunications center and refinery in the country. Much of Iraq's industrial capacity has been pounded to rubble," plus 30 major bridges. Though used to be the second largest oil exporter, it will probably take five years to rebuild those facilities to earn the income needed to pay for rebuilding. Meanwhile, 100,000 bombing raids turned Iraq into a primitive nation without power, sewage or 95 precent of its water.
"Saddam Hussein asked for it," reply Americans. Yes, but the people of Iraq did not. They did not choose him, as the Germans elected Hitler. No United Nations resolution authorized destroying Iraq's infrastructure. Why was Baghdad still being bombed Feb.
27, after its forces in Kuwait had been routed? Jim Wallis, a pastor and editor of Sojourners, a liberal evangelical magazine, recalls, "Six weeks ago, before the war, the country was evenly divided on whether to go to war. There was a moral debate that we had not seen before. As soon as the war began, the polls shifted dramatically. "The moral issue disappeared because the war was successful. Success seems to prove the moral nature of the war.
But we lost an opportunity to resolve the crisis in a non-violent way that might have been the 'New World Pax Americana is the old order, that 'might makes course, the jubilant Kuwaitis, might did make right. Six months of the embargo did not bring liberation. Only bombing and invasion. But, as NBC newscaster John Chancellor observed, "Saddam Hussein has been trying to give up for five days." A major reason the Russian peace initiative failed is that it did not include reparations by Iraq for Kuwait's destruction. "Bush is making a mistake by insisting on the humiliation of Iraq," says Georgetown professor Arab Culture Hisham Sharabi.
"What really caused World War II was the humiliation of reparations imposed on Germany after World War I. That made the ground ready for rearmament of Germany." Jim Zogby, director of the Arab American Institute, adds, "What we did after World War I was punish the entire German people with reparations that laid the seeds for World War II. What we did after World War II was instead to punish the leadership (with war crimes trials). We offered to the German people the opportunity to change their government and move toward a progressive, democratic government. "Thus the real victory came not in winning a war but in making peace.
"In victory, we must be magnanimous, offering positive incentives for change, not reparations for vengeance that will intensify the suffering: "1. Offer a redevelopment plan for Iraq to Create help bring democracy. "2. a regional security plan for the Gulf without U.S. troops by helping Arabs create regional security, so it does not have the appearance of being a colonial conquest," said Zogby.
Address the important Israel-Palestinian issue, providing security for Israel and statehood for Palestinians, resolving this central issue. "4. Help develop a plan for regional Arab-wide cooperation to deal with the issue of he rich and poor, an Arab investment fund that can allow for sharing of oil revenues that meets people's Zogby, a Christian, recalled Jesus' plea to "Love your He said, "'The Christian message of forgiveness and seeking justice tempered by mercy is not an abstract religious message, but a practical, political message. It is how we become reconciled. If you vanquish an enemy, his offspring will become your enemy.
If you have show justice and mercy, you the possibility of reconciliation and peace." (McManus is a self-syndicated columnist from Bethesda, Md.) Singers open about faith By Terry Mattingly Scripps Howard News Service God seems to be showing up a little more often on the radio these days. Religious rock 'n' roll is not, of course, going to take over the secular music business. Far from it. Many popular albums and videos continue to resemble musical forms of toxic waste. But one long-time member of the Christian rock community has noticed a surprising number of songs on the charts by artists who do little to hide their religious convictions.
"You're always waiting for the sun to break through the clouds, you know?" said Randy Stonehill, a veteran at mixing "Rock of Ages" music with rock 'n' roll. "It's been a charge to see some people with faith, energy and passion break out and get some attention. I may not agree with where some of these people stand on every single philosophical or theological question. But hey, they're singing about their faith and you can dance to The hot Australian band Midnight Oil includes some articulate Christians. A rising hard-rock band called Kings recently included an entire chapter of the apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians in its new album.
Veteran folk-rocker Roger McGuinn, of Byrds fame, is back on the radio and mentioning his faith in inter. views with secular reporters. On the horizon is a new album by U2, a band whose mix of faith and fury is controversial on both sides of the religion vs. rock debate. Any attempt to blend the secular Revival scheduled Dr.
Tom Hermiz, president of World Gospel Mission in Marion, will lead revival services Friday through March 10 al McGrawsville United Methodist Church, Amboy R.R. I. Services begin at 7 each night and at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Raggedy Butterfly will provide the children's ministry.
The singing group Brush Arbor will perform Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, March 2, 1991 Kokomo (Ind.) inbune Ugly or By Michael J. McManus and the sacred will generate controversial among many Christians. Stonehill knows that. "I think that the heart of the problem.
No, wait a minute. Let's go the other way with this," he said. "The ray of hope in all this is that some people may someday get bored with their safe, predictable approach to life and faith and they may look for something with some bite to it." The question is whether Christian performers will risk being damned as "too secular" by the faithful to make music that appeals to people outside the pews. These performers also risk being called "too religious" by the faithless. Many Christian leaders could help this process, Stonehill said, by losing a few artistic prejudices.
Truth is, many Christians need to quite literally get real, he said. "You'd think that if anyone had license to take the bull by the horns and really bite deep into this life, it'd be the Christians. But fear is a powerful emotion," said Stonehill. think we just trust that God will be God and we can cut loose. Maybe God's trying to tell us, 'Look, there are mysteries out there in life.
But it's OK to take them on. I'm God. I can handle your mysteries. Lighten up, you guys. The ability to write real songs about real issues in the lives of faith real people is one reason, along with an odd sense of humor, that Stonehill has survived.
His audiences these days are hearing songs from throughout his 20-year career, and his two most recent trips to the recording studio have produced songs that recall his past as well as covering issues in the present. His current album, "Until We Have Wings," combines live versions of seven old songs with seven new ones. Before that, he released "Return to Paradise," a title that referred back to the folk-rock Christian classic, "Welcome to Paradise," that opened his career. Returning to his musical roots has placed renewed emphasis on the sound of Stonehill's voice, his steel-stringed Martin guitar and his lyrics. "Rock 'n' roll is an attitude.
It's about hope and glory and anger and all those things we feel as we struggle," he said. "I remember feeling awestruck when I was young, listening to Steven Stills kill people with something like the song 'Black which is just a guitar and several hundred pounds of attitude "'Rock 'n' roll can be one man with a guitar or a bunch of guys with walls of amps I'm one man with a (Mattingly teaches media and popular culture at Denver Seminary.) He Died So We May Live "When God Forgives Your Enemies" Neal R. Sadler, Pastor SUNDAY WORSHIP 10:15 A.M. CHURCH SCHOOL 9:00 A.M. NURSERY PROVIDED First Congregational Church (UCC) 505 W.
Mulberry 452-8285, "Caring In All Seasons" V.B.S. Time! Attention: V.B.S. Director, Pastor, Christian Ed. Director, Teachers V.B.S. Open House Style Workshop TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 7-9 P.M.
AT LIVING WATER BOOKSTORE 1808 E. MARKLAND Materials and Crafts from: Standard, Gosepl Light and Augsburg. We Invite You To Be Our Guest! SPONSORED BY: THE LIVING WATER Kokomo', Most Complete Christian Book and Music Center 1808 E. MARKLAND 457-7700 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (Fri.
10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday John Monday I John Tuesday 1 John Wednesday I John BIBLE Thursday I John Friday Genesis Saturday Exodus Beautiful? It all depends on whether or not you are a lobster lover. To those who enjoy this succulent fruit of the sea, a lobster is a thing of beauty. To others, it seems incredibly ugly. Beauty is "in the eye of the beholder," but, contrary to another old saying, it is not skin deep.
True beauty often can't be seen at all. It is something you feel, something of which you are aware, not necessarily seen. Beauty, for instance, surrounds you when you walk into God's house. There is something in the atmosphere that you can't quite define. No matter what's been happening to you, within the confines of your church or synagogue, you feel a sense of peace, of sanctuary.
Had that experience lately? Senptures aslected by The Anencan Bible Society Copyright 1991. Keister-Williams Newspaper Services, 0 Box 8005. Charlottesville. VA 22906 This Message Sponsored By People Who Care. Ameritrust Bank GEORGE SHINE Mother's Little Helper of Howard County ASSOCIATES Distinctive Catering 9 Convenient Locations 453-1707 for Your Occasion to Serve You "Real Estate Specialists" Sheila McKee, owner Kokomo-Greentown 226 S.
Main, 457-4504 Greentree Manor Banner Flower House Intermediate Care Facility Mr. Steak 459-5166 1560 S. Plate 452-8934 Casual Dining Dedicated to Locally Owned Operated helping families 2710 S. Washington, 453-2275 Burger Restaurant come to the right decision King 1621 East Markland Ave. through love, care and 2824 South understanding.
The Op Shop Washington St. 1310 S. Market Griffey Contracting Service, Inc. 457-1829 Beckley Office Equipment Dave Carolyn Computer Center Employees 112 S. Main St.
Palmer's Jewelry Company 457-5571 Hal Dar Vacation Trailers Robert Freed Employees Hal Darlene Piper Bunker Hill, IN Coca-Cola Bottling Co. PASTArrific Restaurant Bakery E.P. Severns Personnel Harrell's 2921 So. Washington Cale Kokomo, 455-1312 Full Service Breakfast All Day Collin's Moving System, Inc. 6:15 A.M.
2 P.M. 904 West Morgan Street 202 No. Main, 457-3660 Compliments of Pepsi-Cola Phone 457-6648 Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. Harrison's Body 452-4708 Country Catfish Restaurant Alignment Shop "Best Catfish You'll Ever Have!" 606 South Locke, 452-2880 Phyllis' Hallmark Shop U.S.
31 South, Kokomo Southway Square 453-0061 Ideal Diversified Industries 455-2085 Ideal Dust Control Service Div. Dairy Queen Brazier Ideal Janitorial Supply Div. Security Federal Savings Bank 2016 N. Washington, 457-7556 519 E. Markland Ave.
3545 S. Lafountain, 453-7222 Kelvie Press, Inc. 457-1161 101-105 N. Buckeye Kokomo, IN Dawn's Optique 457-1101 Southside Feed-Lawn Garden Dawn Jarvis, Optician, Staff 901 E. Markland Ave.
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Union Foust Motors, Inc. Kokomo, 459-0334 S.R. Mac's Market 28 East, Tipton The Convenience Store 457-4150 Wallmann's Market with a Drive- Window 1303 E. Morgan, 459-0231 1727 S. Webster, 452-3487 Fouts Construction Co.
2100 W. Sycamore, 457:3817 Richard Fouts, Contractor Martin Brothers 118 W. 400 S. Road TV Appliances Wanda's Goodie Shop Kokomo, 453-1330 175 E. Main Russiaville New! Deli Sandwiches at TV Appliance Service Our New Location Furniture Renovators 883-5551 1403 S.
Home, 459-8831 Resilver Mirrors Caning Regluing Repairing Martino's Italian Villa Wholesale Electric 452-9663 1929 N. Washington, Service Company Corner Phillips Jackson Sts. 457-6621 and all of our employees.
