Let’s Not Cry Havoc and Let’s Chain the Dogs of War

Last updated on: April 29, 2018 at 4:08 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

Let’s Not Cry Havoc and Let’s Chain the Dogs of War 2018-04-29T16:08:30-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Once the killing starts, deaths mount.

The fringes, especially terrorists on the right, have started in places like Toronto. Let’s stop, think about it, and not do it. None of us are perfect, none of us expresses divine love as we should, all of us need the mercy of God.

Let’s have mercy as we hope to have mercy.

Revenge is sweet until the deaths mount. America had one Civil War and the deaths went on and on until finally Abraham Lincoln died, because a star decided to take his Shakespeare from the stage to reality. His last role was Antony in Julius Caeser where he said “Cry Havoc! Let slip the dogs of war.” I am sure he brought down the house, that star John Wilkes Booth, when he intoned: “Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!”

He did not understand what Shakespeare was saying, what Shakespeare said in Richard II and had Henry lament in Henry V: killing leads to killing and civil wars have no winner. Ask the Syrians, what is left of them.

Last week I was in Texas, Northern California, Chicago, and New York City. I heard visitors to Trump Tower from blue states speak of the fear of punishment, because of their profession and their vote. Was this a valid fear? Who knows? They had it and were careful to hide their Presidential affections. At the same time, I listened to blue state voters in a red state speak with contempt about “those Evangelicals.”

Yet I also enjoyed an evening at Astros baseball in the most diverse city in the United State and an evening at Carnegie Hall in the capital of the the world. The people were decent, diverse, and nobody could or even wanted to guess how anyone voted. We chanted for Jose Altuuuuuuuve and gave a standing ovation to a classical sitar player and the West meets East music of Philip Glass.

We went to a Korean feast with some of our very best friends, one of whom is Korean, and life was good. We met people working on educating the least-of-these and that was even better. In New York City, I lifted a pint with friends under a picture of that greatest of Americans, US Grant, in a pub where there were few voters for Grant’s GOP.

Shakespeare is right. Few things are worth civil war . . . Even the passive kind where we loath “those people.” Let’s be blunt: in places where the secular left is dominant, no quarter is given even for a chicken sandwich if produced by Evangelicals. Yet we also “lie for Jesus” and too often act as if every secularist is a Satanist.

No.

We must stop this hatred. Christians know better, but we are (as our theology teaches) no better than anyone else just because we are right. The Devil, after all, believes in God and he is a devil! Let us start with love. Find something good to stay about your political opposition. Give credit where due. End demonization or bullying where dominant. We are, I think, at the edge of a second civil war. God forbid we cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.

Nobody wins a civil war.

I am a second amendment, free market, low tariff, anti-racist, Republican. You may not be. My response?

Union forever: e pluribus unam.

On Books

Pop Culture

Previous Post

April 27, 2018

No, She chose beauty.

Next Post

April 29, 2018 Christina over Dante: A Better Rossetti for our TIme

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How long, Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen? Why do you make me look at injustice? This prophet questioned God's justice. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Job Jeremiah Asaph Habakkuk

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »