You may not be interested in war...

Our class began with a quote.


“You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.”


This quote is attributed to Leon Trotsky, a Ukrainian theorist. Richard Betts' class at Columbia didn't include any readings of Trotsky beyond this one simple quote.


This quote makes sense and does seem to ring true.


Millions of Ukrainians are coming face-to-face with war and are fleeing to safety because they want nothing to do with it. Thousands of Ukrainian men who previously were accountants, bakers, mechanics etc. are setting aside their comfortable lives and responding to a war that's coming closer and closer. On the other side, thousands of conscripted Russian teenagers are being forced into combat instead of enjoying their teenage lives. The vast majority of people who encounter war do not welcome its encroachment into their lives.


This is true for Mennonites as well. We don't want to go to war. Instead we feel a calling to spread God's peace. We would rather be experiencing and sharing God's love than worrying about war. But sometimes war comes and forces us to react.


Very few people want war. Many more are forced to react to it.


Mennonite reactions to war are different. This blog will illuminate them.

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