Over the last few months we have probably all seen enough footage of tanks, bombs and injured children to last a lifetime. There are some industries that inevitably thrive on the misery of others, and the news media is one of them. Not that I'm suggesting they all enjoy it (I suspect the frontline correspondents would probably rather be anywhere else when the missiles shake the floor), but you can't escape the fact that wars equal ratings…

In the wake of the Diocese of New Westminster's decision last year to bless same-sex unions, debate over which one of two Canadian bishops will have episcopal oversight of conservative parishes in the Diocese represents the latest round in the ongoing controversy.

Mention of the Battle of Waterloo tends to conjure up in one's mind rows of soldiers in formation facing the enemy; likewise sailors manning ships in the Battle of Trafalgar. Even the more recent Battle of Britain suggests primarily airmen, planes, bombs and anti-aircraft fire, but the reality is a far more complex array of personnel and a diverse sequence of events.

Warfare in the name of religion is the most talked about topic right now. Certain elements in Islam - call them extremists or fundamentalists, or simply men and women who take their sacred writings seriously - have declared a holy war against the enemies of their faith. Of course, Christianity, as much as Islam, has had a tradition of holy war. Just as one finds within the Muslim world a variety of opinions regarding the waging of war, similarly Christians have historically taken different stances, the most notable being pacifism and the ‘just war' tradition.

Christian ministry for Howard Dillon has always had a practical edge. Half a lifetime ago, as a young Anglican minister, he signed on for a tour of duty in Vietnam. He was sent to the hospital at Vung Tau, about 60 kilometres east of Ho Chi Minh City.

In any discussion of war, it is unlikely that ‘the Church' (i.e. the mass of Christians) will speak with ‘one voice' on the matter. That is because of two complementary aspects of the Bible's teaching. On the one hand, the Bible teaches that people powerfully pursue their own goals at the expense of others—they ‘sin' against each other—and such a world requires rulers who sometimes enforce peace by means of coercion (while resisting the temptation also to sin). Yet on the other hand, God intends for human societies to live in peace, without death and bloodshed, and redeems people for himself who are committed to this peaceful life, now and in future.

Paul Sanders gave up the job of his dreams to train for youth and children's ministry at Youthworks College in Sydney. But despite the sacrifice, he has no regrets and says he is totally dedicated to ministry.