A Holy War

Mostar, Bosnia, a city ravaged by war, but not just any war, a war in the name of faith. Set in a large valley very little of the city is left unstained by the presence of hate and destruction, giving a real life picture to me of a valley of the shadow of death. The city is divided right down the center by a line of mass destruction. To the East a Muslim Mosque cast shadows down and standing directly opposed to it is the Catholic Cross that adorns the tip of the Western valley rim, clearly marking each territory according to belief. They say a war like this happens about every 2 generations. Many of the buildings have been left in heaping piles of rubble or either standing with holes in the wall. The two religions stood on either side of the valley and shot down at each other in the name of spirituality. I know that this isn´t the first war like this. Religion is probably the main name in which wars have been fought since the begining of time. This just happens to be the first one I have seen the consequences of with my own eyes. This makes me think that there is something incredibly important about the idea of relgion. I just wonder when we got the notion that relgion was a civil war and not a spiritual one. We fight each other. We hate each other. We kill each other..all in the name of relgion. Donald Miller in his book Searching for God knows what says, "In war we shoot the enemy, not the hostage." A major battle has been lost here when we are tricked into believing that the enemy is made up of the same flesh and blood that we are. I have never killed someone in the name of faith, but I carry the notion in my heart many times that the enemy is immoral humanity and it is sad to stand in this place and see the extent to which my small little notion can destroy lives.
This city is much different than any place we have been yet. Daniel has spent a lot of time here over the last two years. He has great friends here and it is neat to watch him and his heart for this place.