When Trump Bombed Iran

I had several ideas in mind for a new article when the announcement came that Trump had bombed Iran—and now it’s all I can think about.

My first thought was: I hope he knows what he’s doing. But that seems unlikely, at least in terms of any strategic, consequential, or moral consideration. His lifelong pattern is to treat every action as a transaction in which he must benefit, regardless of the consequences for others. It extends into every part of his life, from business to personal relationships. The good of the other, when mentioned at all, is part of his sales pitch to close a deal.

It’s a pattern that hasn’t always ended well for Trump—and never for those who work for him. It runs parallel with another lifelong habit: avoiding responsibility. He’s honed that skill to perfection. He commits major offenses in public, boasts about them, and calls them virtues.

By now, you’ve read countless accounts and analyses of the bombing. You don’t need mine—but I feel compelled to say something.

Like the mythical weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon remains in doubt. Netanyahu has issued warnings, year after year, that Iran was just weeks away from having one—warnings that began nearly two decades ago. Most military intelligence experts don’t agree with him. I can’t say for sure who’s right. In the old story, the wolf did eventually come, but only after people had stopped listening.

What we’ve seen in the Middle East so far is retribution, visited on the people of Gaza after the massacre at an Israeli music festival. The word justifiable ceased to have any meaning long ago. Now we have tit-for-tat exchanges of missiles and drones between Israel and Iran—no longer war by metaphor, but a contest of mutual death and destruction. Leaders on both sides claim the moral high ground. But, like any war, this one is about egos, power, greed, and self-preservation of the leaders—not the people.

And what about religion? Isn’t that what it’s really about?

No. Religion is a patriotic tool used to stir emotions among the fearful and misinformed.

As a priest in the Episcopal Church, I was especially offended by Trump’s assertion that God blessed the bombing raid—coming from a man whose life and words show no sign of a relationship with God. The Lord our God is not a convenient mascot to be trotted out for public favor.

We are, of course, right to ask God to guide and protect those who serve in the military. We’re told to pray for wisdom among military leaders and policymakers. But to claim God’s blessing for any act of war is blasphemy.

Lincoln said he was less concerned with whether God was on our side than whether we were on God’s—because God is always right. We might remember the ancient Israelites who carried the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines—only to see it captured. God is not amused at being used as an auxiliary weapon. It is in direct conflict with the teachings and commandments of Jesus Christ, who is the Lord—God made flesh.

What does God require of us? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
What does God command? To love God above all else, and to love our neighbors—including strangers, aliens, and even those we distrust or dislike—as we love ourselves. We are to live that love as Jesus lived it. The way of the cross is the way of life and peace.

War is never that way. It may be justified, but it is never the way of life and peace.

I know some will argue we had no choice. Iran is a terrorist nation, underwriting violence against innocents across the globe. They were months away from a nuclear weapon, so what were we to do? Were they? Most intelligence agencies aren’t so sure. Only Netanyahu has been sure—for twenty years. Maybe this time he’s right. Who knows?

What I do know is this: Trump destroyed a promising diplomatic path when he tore up the multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran. That agreement aimed to dismantle Iran’s weapons program and open a path back into the community of nations. Now he’s taken another reckless step, the consequences of which are unknown. It might be a brief spasm of violence—but it won’t bring peace.

Peace cannot come until Iran is once again engaged with the world. Will Trump’s actions provoke renewed terror against Americans? Possibly. Will they further erode our credibility as a trustworthy ally? Certainly. America cannot be a reliable partner as long as a 12-year-old delinquent boy is piloting the 79-year-old body of the President.