How to Avoid Global Thermonuclear War

Matthew 5:38-48


In the movie “War Games,” a teenage boy is searching for a video game company when he accidentally hacks into a government site instead. The kid finds a forgotten government supercomputer with a learning program and initiates a game called Global Thermonuclear War. In doing so, the computer program takes over the real military computer and almost starts a war. The computer is programmed to learn by playing out all the simulation and strategies in its system. At the end of the movie, the computer concludes that no one ever wins at Global Thermonuclear War. The program stops its global attack and concludes, “Strange game... The only winning move is not to play.”

In Matthew 5:38-39 Jesus says, “Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: Don't hit back at all. If someone strikes you, stand there and take it.”

Life isn’t fair, nor should we want it to be. Fairness is treating all parties alike. What we should really want is to be treated uniquely. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus asks us to actively NOT treat people fairly. Our enemies may deserve punishment for their actions, but Jesus asks us to give them better than they deserve. He asks us to love those who don’t deserve to be loved.

No one ever wins when it comes to hate, revenge, judgment, or retaliation. These actions only lead to more hate, revenge, judgment, or retaliation. Until a person is changed by Christ, the only way to avoid Global Thermonuclear War is not to play the game.