Human Nature?

In chapter fourteen of “Burmese Days” Elizabeth is taken on a hunting trip into the Jungle by her neighbour John Flory. As they set off she expresses the hope that they will find and shoot a leopard and it is obvious that she is really excited at the prospect of shooting something, even though she has never fired a gun before. As they make their way through the Jungle they shoot some birds, with Elizabeth proving “a natural” after an initial miss. Then news comes that a leopard has been spotted. The party go in search and when they find  it both Flory and Elizabeth shoot at it  and it is killed. Elizabeth is obviously delighted with how things have turned out.  

But why was she? What was it that made a young woman who had never held a gun
before let alone shoot one  become so elated about killing another creature?
It made me wonder whether there is something in human nature that makes the
ability to kill a possibility. Perhaps the story of Cain and Abel is making this
point in some way (Genesis 4: 1 - 15).

Throughout history, and even today, the ability of people to kill has resulted in much evil
through oppression and war. The difficult question is what do others do when this happens?

How do you oppose a person or group that is prepared to kill to get their own way? 
For Christians this has always been a difficult question and has resulted in views
like the just war. I remember that the idea of the just war came up once in my
Latin class at school as we looked at Roman ideas. Our headteacher who was
teaching our small group simply said “ no war is just”.
He had been in WWII and was a POW of the Japanese. 

If this is true how do we respond when war is forced upon you?  When evil seems to be
taking over things? When others seek to kill you and all you stand for? Maybe that same
part of human nature that makes killing a possibility is also what enables people 
to use force, and even killing to oppose such evil. Maybe this is what made it
possible for so many to fight against such tyranny in two world wars,
perhaps against their “better nature”.

In my reading of Niebuhr I am finding that he explores issues around questions on human
nature and I hope to be able to increase my understanding of his thinking and how
relevant it still is today, as I delve deeper. 

In the meantime more of Burmese Days awaits.

Loving God

Today we continue to pray for

all those affected by the Coronavirus.

May your hand of comfort and blessing 

be upon them and their loved ones.

We give thanks for all those using their gifts and skills

seeking to combat the virus,

and pray for those scientists working so hard 

to find treatments and a vaccine.

Lord terms like fighting against the virus 

and war on covid 19 seem so common at the moment.

In our time of concern  about what is happening in our country,

help us not to forget those parts of the world that are ravaged by war,

and  those in refugee camps displaced by war;

where the  effect of coronavirus could be devastating.

We hold these people and places up before you and pray for

their protection and for peace.

Amen