Hey there! It's the best day of the week! It's Tuesday and it's time for our weekly excursion into the realms of memory makers and change agents. That's right! Live from Searcy! It's Tuesday's Musical Notes!!! Cue the band with the opening theme music!!!
Today, we feature a song and a topic that is different for the Notes. Seems we've been doing that a lot lately. Today we have a song that was written for a group to put on their album, given to a solo artist to record as a single, covered by a couple of other folks and continues to resonate with those who hear it. What is good for? HUH!!!
"War" was written for The Temptations and recorded on their March 6, 1970, album Psychedelic Shack. Protests over the Vietnam War were finding their way into newspapers and the evening news. Motown, not wanting their premier act to come across poorly with more conservative music lovers, decided that the tune would not be released as a single by the Temptations. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the song and requests by radio and the public for the single, Motown acquiesced by providing the song with one of their B-list artists.
Edwin Starr made the song his own and in June of 1970 scored his first and only #1 hit. "War" remained on Billboard's Hot 100 for 3 weeks. It replaced "Make it with You" by Bread in the #1 spot and was replaced by Diana Ross's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". "War" was listed as the #5 song of the year in Billboard's end of the year charts for 1970.
With the war in Vietnam, war protests became a popular thing. Don't get me wrong, our 1st Amendment rights provide for us to speak our mind about any subject regardless of its governmental or social standing. Tuesday's Musical Notes supports this right. With the advent of television, news about wars became a part of a nightly routine. Protests were news at the time and so it seems that ever since Vietnam if the United States enters a conflict, someone protests as loudly as they can. Sometimes these are peaceful, other times, not so much.
So we ask with Motown writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, War...What is it good for?
The Bible is filled with episodes that include war. Jesus even speaks about war and its role at the end of time. The Gospel according to the disciple Matthew, chapter 24, verses 1-14 New American Standard Bible, The Message paraphrase of the Bible, King James Version of the Bible parallel But what stance does the Bible take? Does it side with protesters in declaring war to be killing of young innocent lives for world domination or does it side with the hawks who wish to see that world domination?
To get an idea about the answer to the above question, let's go to where the first war in the Bible is recorded. Take a moment and read this passage: Genesis 14:1-16 NASB/The Message/KJV
Notice that our main character, the patriarch Abraham (name changed after his covenant with God), was not involved in the war. Abraham only became engaged when his nephew, Lot (remember he's the one that took the best land when he split from Abram), was captured by the group of 4 kings who were engaged in war with 5 kings of the area. In context, we must remember that this war was probably not in the scope of thousands of men fighting, but more along the lines of city/kingdoms that had armies of hundreds. The Bible does not take sides on this war. It merely notes the occurrence when 5 kings rebelled against the 4 kings who were over them.
The Bible does note that once Abraham was made aware that Lot and his family had been captured, that Abraham took action. He gathered 318 of his men to rescue Lot, his family, and his goods AND the people of the land Lot had been living around. God used Abram through a "skirmish" to free his family member and the people of the land. One would think this a good thing.
As we continue to read through the Bible, we see times where God uses the tool of war to mete out justice on folks who are wicked, including His chosen people Israel. Studying the Old Testament specifically shows how Israel was warned time and again about their sin and when they chose to continue in their disobedience, God in His righteousness had to take action by using surrounding nations and the war they brought with them as an act of discipline, but ultimately restoration.
But what about in modern times? Was World War I a justifiable war? How about the defeat of Hitler? Was that a good thing? There are many arguments regarding Korea and Vietnam that Tuesday's Musical Notes is not adept enough to begin the conversation. But were there good things that came about as a result of those wars?
The generation that saw World War II has been described as The Greatest Generation. Why is that? One of the reasons is that the generation was forced to prioritize truly important things. Many men were away serving in the war, many women were doing there part by filling in in factories and keeping the country running. This generation HAD to figure out what "today" looked like without the advice of Ellen or Oprah. And yes, during this time, this generation turned to God.
Please read what I am about to say as non-judgmental a statement as possible. The generation that survived 2 World Wars were forced to cope with life and death every day. The generation that has HEARD about wars in Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan have not. That is not something that my generation or those who come after me can say. Have we lost our ability to cope because we've not been forced to cope with any real hardship?
Tuesday's Musical Notes is not advocating for the destruction that another World War would cause. We are not campaigning for the draft to be reinstated (however, for perspective, in Israel EVERY student who graduates from high school goes immediately into a military branch for 2 years). The Notes is not suggesting anything more than this: It is incumbent on our generation to ensure that when we are in times of war that do not immediately affect us (let's face it, as we are right now), that we lovingly challenge, equip, and engage in the next generation in ways that cause their coping mechanisms to be prepared for a time when war MAY immediately affect us.
So, there you have it. War does have a purpose. Our responsibility lies in making sure we use times of "peace" to be as prepared as we can to cope with the horrors that are...War...HUH! What is it good for?....
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
randy
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