Sermon On The War Of The Worlds

In his science fiction novel entitled: “The War of the Worlds” published in 1898, the renowned English author Herbert George Wells (H. G. Wells) remarked: “No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinized and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. It is possible that the infusoria under the microscope do the same.

No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable. It is curious to recall some of the mental habits of those departed days. At most, terrestrial men fancied there might be other men upon Mars, perhaps inferior to themselves and ready to welcome a missionary enterprise. Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. And early in the twentieth century came the great disillusionment.” Titus 2:11-14 reminds us: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

War is primarily defined as a state of armed conflict between separate countries or secular groups within a particular country. In its extremity, a particular battle or wrongful action could be insighted through a delusional state of mind which results in illusional fantasy. This sadly results in fantasy ruling over reality. War has also been viewed in many other forms of life as a general fight against evil for the victory of goodness. King Hezekiah was considered a good person who performed remarkable acts of service for the Lord in many ways, who valued prayer as a beneficial part of life, both on a personal level, and in times of conflict. 2 Kings 20:1-10 reminds us: In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.”

And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake.” And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.” And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.”

God’s world includes the vastness of the kingdom of heaven, it also encompasses everything within the universe as we know it. Heaven symbolizes an entity, truth, peace and tranquility in wholeness, never war, or lies. War can lead to death. There may be additional hidden or undiscovered elements yet to be revealed or found, but each will often hold a particular defined purpose or probable form for the general benefit of its inhabitants. In the film adaptation of H. G. Wells’ work, a strong hope and reassurance is conveyed that God retains the grace and power to save mankind. This is emphasized in the end narration which includes the wording: "After all that men could do had failed, the Martians were destroyed and humanity was saved by the littlest things, which God, in his wisdom, had put upon this earth."