As global tensions escalate and the threat of war looms, Christians are called to place their hope in God, echoing Our Lady of Fatima’s message of repentance and peace.
Newsroom (24/11/2024 09:55, Gaudium Press) The possibility of a world war, which is synonymous with nuclear catastrophe, is becoming a reality. For those who have followed world events over the last few decades, such an imminent situation has never been witnessed – as the most experienced say – since the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962.
Today, we are seeing significant actions, such as the deployment of hypersonic ballistic missiles by Russian President Putin, while the Biden administration ratifies that its long-range missiles can be used by Zelensky at his discretion. The commander of the British Armed Forces declares that his soldiers are ready to be deployed anywhere on the globe; Sweden and Finland practically warn their citizens about the need to prepare for a ‘possible war’; the US and European countries are temporarily closing their embassies in Kiev; North Korea – now with troops on the Ukrainian front – is openly discussing war issues as a result of joint military exercises to the north of South Korea. These elements, among many others, speak for themselves.
Some might argue that the nations are just showing hostility, like dogs that growl and show their teeth, and there is a certain truth to that. However, Putin himself seems to be at a dead end and could face an internal crisis if cities inside Russia are attacked. The lack of a forceful response could jeopardize his own political sustainability, given that he remains in power only through the image of a conquering autocrat. You only have to remember the episode involving the Wagner group mercenaries to realize this. And in the old tsarist empire, these things are not resolved by a peaceful exit from power, but by bloodshed. The dogs are growling, but the adrenaline has already been activated.
However, those who consider all these scenarios from a purely natural perspective are profoundly mistaken, disregarding the fact that it is not only man who governs history, but above all, God. So, the fundamental question is: what does God want and what is God willing to allow?
In this context, we can’t help but recall Our Lady’s words at Fatima, announcing the end of the First World War: ‘The war will end. But if you do not stop offending God, in the reign of Pius XI, a worse one will begin’. Indeed, as Our Lady prophesied, a much worse war began, which almost established the power of Nazism and Communism, resulting in tens of millions of deaths.
However, Our Lady established the premise that leads to the conclusion: war is the consequence of people turning away from God. If people turn away from God, war comes. And so, anyone who sees the current situation in the world cannot help but fear the outbreak of the dreaded Third World War, which would obviously be much more global and much more terrible than the previous two. As Einstein said: ‘The Fourth War would be fought with sticks and stones, given the destruction of the Third’.
Nowadays, there is a worrying tendency among regions far from the centres of conflict: not to consider the terrible possibilities that can arise from these tensions. This attitude can be interpreted as a simple psychological defense mechanism: faced with so many problems weighing on people’s minds these days, why burden themselves with more? However, this attitude can be compared to the ostrich technique, which is sticking your head in the sand. Although this technique brings some relief to the spirit, it does not ward off predators or dangers.
However, there is something that all of us can and must do, especially those who see reality through a supernatural prism: unite with God, seek God, pray to God, and preferably through His Mother. In this way, as the world draws closer to God, it will stop offending.
Our hope and trust must be in God. If, by any chance, a super-agreement is reached tomorrow, leading to total peace, the question must remain the same, the one asked by Our Lady of Fatima: have we stopped offending God?
If the answer is no, there will be no sustainable agreement. And the phrase from the Scriptures could be applied: ‘When men say, “peace and safety”, then destruction will suddenly come upon them’ (1 Thess 5:3).
But if the answer is yes, God will come to our aid in the midst of the most terrible prospects or situations, because He leaves no prayer unanswered and, above all, He does not abandon His own.
Rather than promoting an agreement – which, of course, must be reached with all the legitimate resources available – what we must do is pray to God and the Blessed Mother for peace, but especially for people to stop offending God.
By Saúl Castiblanco
Compiled by Sandra Chisholm
