Thought for Today
Exodus 15:3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.
Isaiah 42:13 The Lord goes forth like a soldier, like a warrior he stirs up his fury; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.
Philippians 2:25 Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus-- my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need;
2 Timothy 2:3 Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Today is 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. It coincides with holidays in several countries, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which also occur on the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.” (en.wikipedia.org)
I am not a veteran. I was born during WWII and much of my life has been lived in the shadow of that war and the subsequent wars fought by our country, I have known and worked with men who fought in the Pacific Theater and in Europe during WWII, men who fought in Vietnam and in Iraq. Like most Americans, I am thankful for all the men and women who have honorably served in our country’s armed forces, whether in combat roles or in support roles. Without their sacrifices, we might not be here today in ‘the land of the free and the brave.’
Our nation has a proud history of men and women who have answered the call to arms when needed. Our home today is in New England, the home of the original Minutemen. We moved here from Texas. The city in which I was born is named for the military leader who won Texas’ independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto, Gen. Sam Houston. Texas is the home of the Alamo, a site sometimes referred to as America’s Thermopylae.
As a Christian, I do not often think of our faith in military or militant themes. Ironically, one of my theological heroes is Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German minister martyred by the Gestapo toward the end of WWII. He struggled with the moral issue of that war, the evil of the Nazi movement and government and with Valkyrie, the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Ultimately, he supported the killing of Hitler and ended up in a Gestapo prison. Because he refused to stop preaching and teaching the other prisoners, he was executed.
Christianity has a checkered past in its dealing with militarism. From our earliest ancestors-in-the-faith, there have been warriors. “Genesis 10:8 Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.’”
As we watch the devastation in Gaza today, it is easy for Christians to condemn at the same time we forget that the Crusades were initiated by Christians and supported by Christians. Part of the reason for the initiation of those wars was the danger and violence inflicted on Christian pilgrims visiting Jerusalem and other holy sites. We even sometimes forget that Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire because a Roman general saw a vision the night before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
The apostle Paul often used militant images in his epistles. Those 2 verses above are examples. Paul understood and experienced the truth that the gospel message of God’s love sometimes meets resistance. That resistance may come from other religions, from governments or from individuals. That resistance may be passive, active or even violent.
In our world, throughout humanity’s history, the gospel message has proven to be the greatest message of hope. Hope to the lost and lonely. Hope to the poor and powerless. Hope to the lost and unloved. Jesus’ incarnation and resurrection were the ultimate proof of God’s love. And, as Christ’s warrior, Paul, wrote, “Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—” God’s gift of love through our faith in God’s gift of God’s Son.
Today is a special day we set aside to honor veterans. Every day should be a day we thank all of the men and women willing to put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom to worship or not to worship, to accept or refuse God’s gift.
Stay safe, thank a veteran today, trust God,
Pastor Ray