The Crocodile is at Our Own Front Door

March 29, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
To the crocodile that is eating our neighbors down the street, do we confront him?  After all, he's not bothering us, just our distant neighbors.   Soon we notice that, one neighbor at a time, he advances closer to our own front door.  Not wanting to confront him, we appease him through negotiation.  Sir Winston Churchill said this about appeasers.  “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”  

The United States is currently engaged in a war with Iran.  Whether we are politically for or against this war, let us consider the facts over the last 47 years since the Iranian revolution.  

1. Iran captured and held sixty-six Americans in 1979 and held them captive for 444 days.
2. 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut, Lebanon resulted in 17 Americans killed.
3. 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon resulted in 241 U.S. servicemen killed.
4. 1984 U.S. embassy building bombing in Beirut, Lebanon killed 23 Americans.
5. During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Iran’s support of our opposition resulted in well over 1,000 American servicemen being killed.
6. In 2015 Iran provided al Qaida data to enable it to sabotage the USS Cole.  Though the ship was only damaged, 17 American sailors were killed. 

Of course, there are many other instances of atrocities that Iran has committed against the United States.  With all of these and more Iranian acts of war tolerated in the past, why is it now that we go to war with them?  Here's the simple answer.  The crocodile is at our own front door.

In good faith, President Trump had his negotiators trying to appease the crocodile, Iran.  Days before the bombings began, the Iranian negotiators bragged that they had a secret stash of 460 lbs. of enriched uranium available to make eleven atomic bombs.  Now do you not suppose one or two, maybe three atomic bombs would destroy all of Israel?  For a country that's been shouting, “Death to America, the great Satan” for the past 47 years, where would you expect those remaining atomic bombs might be exploded?  

We live in a broken world and war is part of that brokenness.  Though we be at war with Iran, who would, given the opportunity, do us great harm, we still pray that peace might reign.

The Psalmist tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  Pray that the Lord will bring peace to Iran and to our nation as well.
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Love in Christ,
Pastor Allan
 
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