Currently there are approximately 20,000 nuclear weapons worldwide. 95% of those weapons are controlled by the USA and Russia. So when the presidents of these two countries come together to talk nuclear reduction strategies we should take note, especially as Christians who pray the Lord’s Prayer.

Today, President Obama and President Medvedev met in Moscow and signed an agreement that sets legally binding targets for decreasing strategic warheads. This builds on the treaty signed between Bush and Russia in 2002 known as the Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty (SORT). While today’s agreement is only seen as an incremental improvement (the “legally binding” part is a new level of accountability, read more at CFR here) it is something for us to celebrate.

I was recently introduced to a Christian project to raise awareness and impact change toward a nuclear-free world. Can you imagine it? I must admit that it’s hard for me to get my mind around a world that says “no” to the devastating power of nuclear war. I’ve grown up thinking nuclear weapons were “normal.” But that assumption is a mistake. Why is it a mistake? Because we pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” And the impact of just one of these 20,000 weapons being used would be SO devastating (in primary and secondary effects) that it would cause generations of harm.

Is nuclear proliferation a matter of faith? Yes. To learn more visit the Two Futures Project here.

-Russ