Thought for Today
Genesis 10:8 Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior.
Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.
Psalm 33:16 A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
Matthew 8:9 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does it."
The U.S.A. is already in the early stages of celebrating a birthday. There have already been parades, reenactments and countless stories of the heroes, the battles and the discussions that led to July 4, 1776. Next July 4th there will be more of everything, more galas, more commemorations, more speeches and many of the problems and issues that have plagued our nation since 1776 will be temporarily put aside. We will pay due homage to all the patriots and all the leaders who have brought us to where we stand today.
Next week we will commemorate Veterans Day. “Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces.” (en.wikipedia.org) As part of our worship this coming Sunday, we will honor all of the veterans associated with our own congregation. I began thinking about this last Sunday before worship. In the rear of our sanctuary there is a framed banner with colored stars against a white background. It was created by the women of our congregation long before I was called to this pulpit and there is a star for every member of the congregation who answered the call to service during WWI.
Across our great country there are countless similar commemorations honoring the veterans of the many wars we have fought. For my generation, probably the most familiar and iconic is the statue in our nation’s capital based on the photograph of marines on Iwo Jima raising our flag. There is also a memorial there, the Viet Nam Wall, commemorating all who were lost in my generation’s war.
Generally, I am uncomfortable with any association of war with Christianity. I find linking our belief in a loving God. In Genesis we read, “2:7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.” I have trouble understanding those words above from Exodus describing God as a warrior. Warriors kill. God creates.
My discomfort extends to my rarely choosing the hymn Onward Christian Soldiers to be sung during our worship services. Conversely, much of my understanding and interest in the history of the Middle East began from reading about the Crusades. I admit to sometimes being an enigma encased in a mystery, even to myself.
As I considered all of this today, I did a word search in my computer Bible app for ‘warrior’ and another for ‘warriors.’ Interestingly, those words only appear in the Old Testament. Military occupation by the military forces of another country is the ubiquitous background, however, for all of the New Testament. Christianity was born in occupied territory, spread primarily in occupied territory, but also was rather quickly adopted by many in the occupying forces. Ultimately, Christianity became the official religion of Rome under Constantine.
The theme this week in These Days is “Hope, Justice, and Restoration.” Those are all prominent topics in the Bible. Generally today, we seem to focus primarily on social justice, the hope for its spread and the restoration of it throughout Christendom.
Right now, however, I am remembering that without all of those willing to put their own lives in harm’s way, there can never be hope, justice or restoration. All Christians, like that centurion, are people under authority. To be a Christian or a Jew means to be under the authority of our Creator God. That phrase, ‘in harm’s way,’ was the title of a John Wayne movie about a hero of WWII. The ultimate example of putting one’s life in harm’s way is Jesus, the Christ, who offered his life for our salvation. Therein lies the reality of hope, justice and restoration.
Stay safe, honor those who live under God’s authority, trust God,
Pastor Ray