On war - and worse...

This week we read "The White Rider."  The Three Hunters enter Fangorn following the tracks of the Hobbits.  But then they meet the White Rider - whom they initially think is Saruman but is, of course, Gandalf.  Gandalf tells them the Hobbits are safe, and that there is something else they must do:

You must go to Edoras and seek out Théoden in his hall.

For you are needed. The light of Andu´ril must now be uncovered in

the battle for which it has so long waited.

There is war in Rohan, and worse evil: it goes ill with Théoden.’

"Worse than war?"
"What can be worse than war?"
"War can lead lasting marks on generations, can destroy nations, and ruins landscapes."
"But there are some wars, we know, that are just."
"Still, war is awful.  Even a just war is traumatic."
"So what can Gandalf mean?"
"I think what he means is that Theoden will not stir.  He will avoid the just war."
"Is it so bad to avoid a just war, if war is so awful?"
"War is a tool.  We must only use it when necessary.  However, when it is necessary, perhaps we must use it.  Few great evils are overthrown by love and understanding."
"Theoden's pacifism will not prevent suffering at the hands of Saruman.  He abdicates his responsibility over his people."
"Suffering can exist without war.  Peace is no panacea."
"So Theoden must be stirred.  Eomer's righteous campaign is worse than not enough - it is counter-productive, as it splits the people and undermines Theoden's authority."
"Even before the first blow is landed, the Rohirrim split into factions."
"This is the worse evil - not to go to war, but to lose community over a disagreement.  Eomer is right, the Rohirrim cannot stand idly by.  But without Theoden's support, it will not be enough.  Gandalf wants the Hunters to reunite the divided Rohirrim.
"Therefore, if we want to do what is right, we should avoid the path of Eomer - taking those who will come with us on a separate, righteous, campaign.  We must do the harder work of politicking.  We must not let the urgency of the situation cause us to break our community."
"But Gandalf says it goes ill with Theoden, not Eomer."
"Eomer has right on his side, and to persuade him would be to push him to embrace wrong.  Instead it is Theoden who must be pulled out of his complacency.  Eomer's err is in his response, not his position."
"So whenever we see a splinter group, we must go to the center and say 'Join the extreme!'?"
"Hmm. I guess not every time.  Sometimes the splinter group is wrong in position, too.  As we have said, the means and the ends must each be justified.
"So if they are right, and yet driven by frustration to break apart, we should not join them.  We also should not try to temper them.  Nor mediate between them both.  If we want to support them, we must go to the center and push them towards the direction.  Perhaps it will not work.  But what will certainly not work is letting the center die the death of a thousand cuts, as different priorities decide to go off on their own rather than remain together.  They may not get what they want and then, with no other guiding principles, they become listless, or more extreme in their requests.  Or they do get what they want, and then they decide they don't need the center at all.  But we only fight for principles to support people.  On their own, principles are worthless.  Remaining in community lets us remain people-driven, not ideology driven."

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