The War
The battle pressed. Good soldiers were surrounded by the enemy, except on one side--a cliff, a drop-off, sheer, awful, plunging hundreds of feet through the darkness into cold waters below…if you missed the rocks jutting-out on the sides of the cliff.
Darkness came. Intense darkness. Darkness that brought the stillness of every man's soul being disquieted with loneliness.
Darkness that penetrated into every nerve fiber, making it tingle with the electricity of fear. Darkness that suggested hopelessness. Darkness that was longer than the hands of a clock measure a night, longer than the sun stays out of sight.
Groans and screams of agony from the wounded pierced the night. Men and women were dying. Boys and girls were dying. Babies were dying.
Enemy forces had slipped inside. From time to time fierce struggles between individuals and the enemy were near and violent.
Bombs fell. Indiscriminately. Blowing apart buildings. The enemy cared not what was destroyed. If military installations were hit, so were schools, churches, hospitals, and homes for the elderly.
Whether to die was not the question. Only when? How would it happen? Would it be quick? Would it be slow and painful? Would death come with a knife, bullet, bomb, or missile? Would the enemy torture—slowly and unmercifully driving sanity away while death seemed to be too patient to call?
Suddenly, how I know not, a veteran soldier stood near. Though I could not see him, his voice was clear despite the sounds of battle. He asked if I wanted to live. He asked if I was willing to forget about my fears and take a risk. He indicated there was a mission that could save a lot of people. But I would have to risk everything and totally trust.
Hope in darkness? How does one believe when hope seems to be gone? How does one believe there is a way out when it seems there is no way out? Yet the calm voice of the veteran quieted my trembling heart.
In seconds of time my mind searched for answers. It was apparent if I stayed where I was death was inevitable and imminent. If I accepted the mission and died, what would be the difference? The difference would be that I would die trying to live and save others.
How I could understand whispers of instructions in the midst of the din and roar yet remains a mystery to me. It was as if the veteran sensed the enemy might be near to overhear his sharing of the plans. Astonishingly, explicit details were given for the start of the mission, but then only general guidelines were shared. Shockingly, I would be going right through the enemy's battle lines.
Urgency was pressed. No time for delay. "You must go in greatest haste. Never look back. Though you will not see me, I will be with you. When you do not know what to do, I will make you to understand. Trust me."
The boldness of the veteran gave courage to my feet. Taking the weapons given me by the veteran I set out. There were times when I passed through the midst of the enemy without being noticed. There were other times when the enemy set fiercely against me. But always there was victory. I could not in the darkness discern what part the veteran had in these victories, but in time it became obvious I was not the champion.
As we followed what seemed like a path through the battlefield, there were countless opportunities to loose prisoners, to bind up wounded, to give food or water to precious soldiers fighting for the good cause. I marveled that the veteran with me never hesitated to release captives and help the wounded, though we were on a life and death mission.
Eventually, it dawned on me that the mission is every Christian's life. Jesus is the every present veteran with us. Helping others is the purpose of the mission, as we make our way to victory. Mission accomplished, we give our lives for him and spend eternity in his presence.
My story is your story. Victory is ahead. Oh, there is a battle for our souls; however, Jesus has already won the WAR!
Pastor Bare
"Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." Colossians 2:14-15