When terrorists struck

September 11 has become something of an emblematic anniversary for America in the 21st century. When we are harmed by our enemies, our first instinct was revenge. Christ calls us to forgive and repair this broken world with love.

While some like to call us a Christian nation, one would be hard pressed to find Christ in our foreign policies. Consider our response to the September 11 terrorist attack. Our nation went on a spending spree for war and vengeance. In a report prepared by Amy Belasco for the Congressional Research Service, here is what we spent on wars in the decade after 9/11:

Congress has approved a total of $1.283 trillion for military operations, base security, reconstruction, foreign aid, embassy costs, and veterans’ health care for the three operations initiated since the 9/11 attacks: Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Afghanistan and other counter terror operations; Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), providing enhanced security at military bases; and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

So we spent over $1.25 trillion on three military operations between 2001 and 2011, which including the invasion and occupation of a country (Iraq) that had nothing to do with the September 11 attack. Here is where the money went:

Of this $1.283 trillion total, CRS estimates that Iraq will receive about $806 billion (63%), OEF $444 billion (35%) and enhanced base security about $29 billion (2%), with about $5 billion that CRS cannot allocate (1/2%). About 94% of the funds are for DOD, 5% for foreign aid programs and diplomatic operations, and 1% for medical care for veterans.

Bear in mind, this $1.28 trillion is on top of over $6 trillion in spending on the military. Our little wars are just the icing on our cake of aggression. Fantastic. An article in Interactions magazine estimated that we could have rebuilt every school in America for what we spent on those wars. It is a question of priorities. We invested in violence and revenge.

Remember what Jesus taught as part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:9)?

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

For those leaders that pursue war, what shall they be called? Something other than the children of God perhaps?

Or perhaps we should meditate on the vision in Isaiah 2:3-5?

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Yes, come let us walk in the light of the Lord instead of the darkness of hatred and vengeance.

I still grieve for all those innocent lives lost 11 years ago. I also grieve for a nation that wasted $1.28 trillion on wars that accomplished nothing. We did not make the world a safer place. We did not bring peace to Afghanistan, Iraq, and countless other hotspots where we still rain missiles down on from drones in the sky. We did not lift up the downtrodden nor end the reign of violence.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 12:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:15: do not repay evil with evil. It is not complicated. It is difficult to put aside our lust for vengeance, but the principle is simple and good.

We, as a nation, rendered evil for evil. Lord, forgive us.