This morning I read a story about the Taliban in Afghanistan killing a pregnant widow for adultery.  She was whipped 200 times before she was shot in the head and chest.  The man who performed the brutal acts walked away free – after all she was just a woman.

The Taliban shot a seven-year-old boy last week for being a spy and this past weekend shot 10 aid workers who the Taliban claim were spreading Christianity.  How can this be?  How can these kind of backward violent actions still happen in so-called modern society?

I read a book last year on the building of the Taj Mahal.  It was a fascinating cultural glimpse into a land I knew so little about.  Probably the most stunning take-away was how little life was valued.  People were slaughtered without worry or real consideration regularly.  A small, elite group ruled with an iron fist and frankly it seems little has changed in this part of the world.

It also made me realize I would never be able to truly understand these cultures because it’s in complete opposition to my thinking – life is sacred and we are all to live abundant lives in freedom and peace. 

So are we supposed to send more soldiers to rescue the innocent?  I don’t know, I hate what is happening there and I also know we in the West will never fully grasp their society.  Part of the culture is one of oppression and cruelty but I’m betting there is also more to the story too.  I’m betting it’s not just some men who want to keep their cultures the same.  I bet there are a lot of women there as well who believe this is how it is supposed to be. 

We as Americans can not parachute into another culture and expect to really grasp all the facts immediately. I don’t know what the answer is in Afghanistan.  Good, kind, courageous people are dying because they are willing to try to make a better way, even at the cost of life.  And I am grateful that 200 plus years ago, brave men and women decided they needed to break free of British tyranny here in this country. 

And that is probably where the answer lay – with the people.