Sep 10, 2017

 

Follower of Jesus (36)

Blessed are the merciful,

For they will be shown mercy. (9)

Matt. 5:7

The Great Experiment of Love (at least pragmatism)

The United States orchestrated a great experiment at the end of WWII. They formed the Marshall Plan for Europe (officially the European Recovery Plan, or ERP) and a similar plan for Japan. Essentially, the America forgave (that is, the US was merciful and forgave) both nations for the extreme pain they inflicted on the world. America gave, in today’s funds, the equivalent of 130 billion dollars to each area for rebuilding and restoring basic functionality so that industry could be restarted. It should be noted that the vast majority of the funds went to the Allies, the United Kingdom and France, but West Germany received about 11% of the Marshall Plan total, based on the relative population of each country. All in all, 18 countries received help from the Marshall plan over four years, starting in 1948.

The plan was offered to the Soviet Union, who rejected the aid, and prevented similar aid to be offered to their Eastern Bloc countries. We can only imagine the condition of that part of our world had the investments been made.

It is interesting to probe into the why the US would embark on such a program. From what I could tell, it hinges upon the realization of the results of failure to help after WWI, reigniting the anger and fears and feelings of hopelessness in the minds of the Germans and their allies. After world war I all sides pulled back and nursed their wounds, scowling at the other side fiercely, and life just went on, only now filled with pain and feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Germany understood they had effectively lost the war, and felt that other countries were treating them with an attitude of conquerors putting undo restraints on them.

This approach of treating those who had been defeated or at least stopped in a war with harsh punishments was the usual approach that the world had been using from time immemorial. After all, the war had been costly to all, the ones who was considered the victor felt that they had no reason to trust the other to not start something all over again. And so, resentment and anger built over the years, leaving all concerned with bad feelings and renewed anger. The end result was, inevitably, a restarting of a war with the expected severe damages, worse than the last time. This time, it was much worse, as Hitler and his minions were able to rouse up significant self-pity among his followers, who as so often the case, found a scapegoat in the Jewish people.

America had come out of the war relatively unscathed when compared to Europe. It was believed that unless we gave help in rebuilding the economy of those areas where the modern machinery of war proved so devastating, the anger and strong feelings would just continue and we would, sometime in the future, repeat the process, but this time annihilate the world in the process, as we had initiated the start of the atomic warfare possibilities.

I do not want to give too much credit to their only being “love” that caused America to help in this rebuilding, but it was foremost, in my belief, the specter of atomic annihilation that forced America to be so generous. That this approach made a significant difference can be seen, yet we do not intend to proceed with similar plans in the future if wars, at a lesser scale, continue. We humans learn very slowly, seem to take two steps forward and 1.9999 steps backwards, as seen in the war shocked conditions of the world today.

That being said, we have seen slow but sure gains in generating peace and lowering fears in the world. Still, we have over 6 million refugees today, and the specter of war looming at several places in our world. On the positive side, the Columbian government and the last of the rebel forces in that country have reached a time of reconciliation and a promise of reduction in the fighting and killing after over 40 years.

Mercy is slowly gaining a foothold.

Meditation

Oh merciful one, truly Your name is Mercy. I lay my fears and anguish and feelings of hopelessness into Your care. I ask only to place my trust in Your welcoming Being, knowing that in Your care they will be treated with gentleness and merciful love. I weep for all those in pain that are still there, and I know that we must trust in Your ultimate Love and Mercy to prevail over all. Even as nature gathers to teach us respect and wonder at it’s power and capacity, we ask only to be able to