The answer might seem self-evident but not according to the BBC last night, whose 10pm news bulletin led with the opening of the Olympic Games, not the conflict between Russia and Georgia.
Since then the conflict has clearly become a war and a swift resolution seems unlikely.
According to the BBC, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev has said that he was seeking "to force the Georgian side to peace". Such talk is the talk of imperialists not peacemakers. It has echoes of Imperial Rome's desire for 'peace through victory' to which Jesus replied with his commitment for 'peace through justice'.
The best writing I've come across on these themes is God and Empire, by John Dominic Crossan. Crossan combines archaeological research with political and theological reflections to paint a picture of Jesus as directly confronting the imperial power of Rome with an alternative vision of what it means to seek and achieve peace in the name of God. I found the arguments extremely convincing and wholly appropriate to our own time which is, potentially at least, an age of three imperial empires - USA, Russia and China.
In the face of such powerful forces - political, economic and military - what can the humble Christian do? The first thing we must do - out of solidarity as well as a means to effect change - is to pray. Often underestimated by Christians in comfortable and 'peaceful' societies, prayer remains both the very least we can do, and sometimes the very best thing we can do. Prayer matters to those who face persecution, terror, war and fear. As in every war, it is the elderly, women and children who suffer first and most.
As to the Olympics I might watch some highlights; but my enthusiasm for sporting competition between nations has dissipated in the light of the painful reality of international politics. The Olympic movement is no longer indicative of what might be, but a smokescreen for what is.
Dave Ford
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