Prayer and character matter

I have been watching with intrigue as the troops, largely Americans, leave Afghanistan for the last time. The promise to withdraw the troops was a campaign commitment of President Donald Trump and has now been picked up by his successors President Biden and Vice President Harris. Central to this commitment is the recognition that like the Vietnamese war in the 1960s this intervention in Afghanistan is a colossal failure and stands only to teach lessons in war, military and other types of force and the use of might over right. In addition, against the backdrop of calls for prayer for Afghanistan I suggest character must also feature in the discussion.

Following the tragic destruction of the twin towers in New York and the downing of airlines carrying hundreds of passengers in September 2001, war was declared on the Taliban and the nomenclature used was a crusade against evil which many interpreted as an attack on Muslims. The stigmatizing of one group of people, Muslims, while being held in check at present has inspired other types of stigma such as racism and gender inequalities. Until these maladies are addressed, the war on terror is far from over and Afghanistan remains a symbol of what happens when force rather than character is used to address matters of justice, peace and righteousness.

Force, as in the use of excess energy especially through military implements, has never, ultimately, won the day in relationships.  At the personal level when it is used to moderate or mediate conflicts in relationships, force has never been known to heal wounds or bring about reconciliation. At the societal, national or global level force has not generally been known to reap lasting peace after its application in conflicts. In the two so-called world wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, where European nations and those in the north Atlantic were fighting for supremacy, millions of people died, including civilians. Several of the casualties were from developing countries like Jamaica and though we continue to honour the memories of those who fought these economies continue to suffer the lasting economic and social effects of these wars. An important lesson from the use of force in these experiences of war is that might does not make right and force does not always win over diplomacy and dialogue.

If Afghanistan has taught us any lesson over the last 20 years it is that might does not make an action right. It points to the need to set specific objectives for intervention and take steps to engage in military action only after all attempts at diplomacy fails. Diplomatic dialogue is able to thwart expenditures of millions of dollars by those with military and economic might. This expenditure does not make right a war that could not have been won on the basis of targeting the Taliban. Similarly, prayer was requested at the outset of the war when the crusade against the Taliban was launched and evangelicals were on a high in their support of the policy that “might is right” and of the USA and British administrations.

So why is there a call for prayer at this time? Prayer used as convenience is never an antidote or opiate for challenging injustices facing individuals, communities, societies and the nations of the world today. In fact prayer, which is communication with God, nature and people as discussed in my book Prayers for Reflection (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=garth+minott&ref=nb_sb_noss) ought not to be used in place of serious engagement to address injustices in the world today. Rather, prayer for Afghanistan, Haiti, Yemen or any other nation, backed by character as a mental and emotional quality focused on building peace, justice, and joy is the best way to address the challenges of the present time.

The importance of character, highlighted by Marcus Mosiah Garvey, whose birthday we celebrated on 17 August, is useful in building individual, national and global integrity. Garvey said “[t]he man of sterling character is the great builder. He is not only a builder of himself, but according to his opportunities he builds around himself”. Let us therefore pray for the rebuilding of Afghanistan under the leadership of the Taliban and set aside wishes for the dominance of Christian and capitalist ideas and practices in a Muslim country. This approach to prayer is a matter of character since character matters in building individuals and nations, including Afghanistan. Indeed, there are lessons to be learnt in overcoming war, military and other types of force and the use of “might over right.”

Garth Minott is Deputy President of the United Theological College of the West Indies.