The Cold War was an important period of history that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the 20th century. In its general understanding, this term refers to a prolonged ideological confrontation between Western democracies and Communist states, mainly represented by the Soviet Union. While there was no direct military engagement between the world’s superpowers, local proxy conflicts still spread across the globe. Dr. Caleb Fisher notes that the feeling of looming nuclear doom threaded through the Cold War period. Residents on both sides continuously feared that a devastating war was to erupt once the tensions rise beyond the point of no return. At the same, Fisher states that the possibility of such a nuclear conflict was averted because of the fear of mutual destruction. Having sufficient arsenals to end all life on Earth, the leaders of the superpowers preferred not to engage each other directly, limiting the confrontation to the ideological front and proxy wars in Vietnam, Korea, and Afghanistan.
In such difficult times, as the Cold War and the spread of terrorism, the role of Christians is to pursue one of God’s main principles, which is hope. Such a perspective is conditioned by a range of factors that revealed themselves across history. The Biblical story of Nehemiah serves as an important lesson to humanity. More specifically, while God is there to protect and guide all people, they are not to rely solely on divine intervention. The idea of benevolent choice is central to the Christian faith, becoming the Lord’s ultimate test for each soul (Moyn 2020). People cannot refrain from making a choice in difficult situations. Instead, Nehemiah’s example teaches Christians to become confident through making the meaningful choice in the name of God.
Moreover, Christianity helps the public find its voice and make its values known to policy-makers. In this context, Nehemiah provides another excellent example for faithful people to follow. He was a true believer, which is why God answered his prayers and empowered him to hold a conversation with the king. The principles of Christianity guided Nehemiah and allowed him to contribute to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. In the present context, this example shows how God’s will can be made known to major policy-makers. The era of the Cold War virtually presented a threat of mutual and total destruction enabled by the lack of ability to compromise or negotiate from either side (Kirkpatrick 2021, 200). When politicians struggle to make positive decisions, it is a Christian’s obligation to remind them about the virtues of God and the value of human life.
Overall, in periods of global unease and conflict, Christianity has the potential to become the ultimate mediator. God’s teaching promotes love, acceptance, and forgiveness as the major virtues of all Christians. The Cold War was a clash of communism and capitalism in an attempt to redefine the global geopolitical landscape (Huntington 2011). Furthermore, amid political disputes, actual human lives remained under the constant threat of destruction. This Earth and the soul of each being that populates it are the Lord’s greatest gift, meaning that humanity is to treat them with due respect (Tutu 2017, 168). Apostle Paul spoke in favor of a united humanity, saying that “for we are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19, NKJV). When confrontations erupt, this principle becomes compromised in pursuit of power and wealth (Black 2016). Thus, the main role of Christians is to mediate the conflicts, reminding global decision-makers that all choices should be in light of the interests of all humanity.
References
Black, Jeremy M. 2016. Geopolitics and the Quest for Dominance. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Huntington, Samuel P. 2011. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
Kirkpatrick, David C. 2021. “A Gospel for the Poor: Global Social Christianity and the Latin American Evangelical Left.” Journal of American History 108 (1): 200-201.
Moyn, Samuel. 2020. Christianity and Human Rights. New Haven, CT: Yale Law School.
Tutu, Osei-Acheampong Desmond. 2017. “Biblical Perspective on Christians Participation in Politics.” World Wide Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development 3 (9): 165-170.