On the 13th of May, 1940, a new Prime Minister stood up to speak in the Palace of Westminster. It was his first speech to the House of Commons, having replaced the previous leader of the government three days earlier. As the United Kingdom prepared to enter perhaps the most dangerous period of the war, this is part of what he said:
“I would say to the House as I said to those who have joined this government: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering.
You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs — Victory in spite of all terror — Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.”
The response to this call to action, and others like it, is part of what we remember today. The response by ordinary people, a response of strength and courage. A response that took the call to action seriously, and did something about it. People responded by shedding blood, tears and sweat. And in the end that response did lead to victory.
There was a call to action. There was a response. There was a victory.
In our readings today we heard about other calls to action and the responses that they provoked.
Continued here...
Showing posts with label spiritual battle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual battle. Show all posts
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Shield of Faith
What is it that is distinctive about the shield as a piece of armour that might say something important to us about the nature of faith.
Imagine a Roman battle field. In the middle of the fight you see a person, isolated, sheltering behind a shield. It's a fairly big shield, about as tall and wide as a person, the leather face is dripping wet. As you watch you see that they are trying to protect someone who is on the floor, injured. But you're not the only one who has noticed them.
The enemy archers on the opposite hill have also caught sight of them and are preparing their arrows, wrapping the tips in cotton material, dipping them in tar and lighting them. The arrows rain down on the stranded pair. The one with the shield is catching the arrows, fending them off but the shield is slowly being chipped away. There are gashes on it, and the edges are all notched and broken. There are arrows stuck in the face of it and it is becoming heavier and heavier.
Out of the corner of your eye you see a movement. You see what looks at first glance like a huge, square turtle trundling over the field. You look again and see that it is a gang of soldiers who have grouped together, linking their shields in front, down the sides, above the heads of the group. They make their way across to the besieged pair, they surround them and bring them into the middle of protective structure and escort them to safety.
Having done so the turtle returns to the fight, storms the hill where the archers are and drives them from the battle field.
The shield is distinctive as a piece of armour, because it is most effective when used together with other shields. When it is used like this it also becomes a mechanism for attack on the strongholds of the enemy.
I reckon that faith is like that.
Imagine a Roman battle field. In the middle of the fight you see a person, isolated, sheltering behind a shield. It's a fairly big shield, about as tall and wide as a person, the leather face is dripping wet. As you watch you see that they are trying to protect someone who is on the floor, injured. But you're not the only one who has noticed them.
The enemy archers on the opposite hill have also caught sight of them and are preparing their arrows, wrapping the tips in cotton material, dipping them in tar and lighting them. The arrows rain down on the stranded pair. The one with the shield is catching the arrows, fending them off but the shield is slowly being chipped away. There are gashes on it, and the edges are all notched and broken. There are arrows stuck in the face of it and it is becoming heavier and heavier.
Out of the corner of your eye you see a movement. You see what looks at first glance like a huge, square turtle trundling over the field. You look again and see that it is a gang of soldiers who have grouped together, linking their shields in front, down the sides, above the heads of the group. They make their way across to the besieged pair, they surround them and bring them into the middle of protective structure and escort them to safety.
Having done so the turtle returns to the fight, storms the hill where the archers are and drives them from the battle field.
The shield is distinctive as a piece of armour, because it is most effective when used together with other shields. When it is used like this it also becomes a mechanism for attack on the strongholds of the enemy.
I reckon that faith is like that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
