23[1] The Measure of Courage August 2010
Lift right foot, place on the ground in front of you, lift left foot, place on the ground in front of right foot…repeat as necessary
Three months back this took shape but the pace of life and a move to the land of Ten Thousand Frozen Lakes
The recent cable TV series, The Pacific, honestly chronicled the wartime experiences of a select group of Marines in their island hopping campaign. My father, Forrest Bailey served in the 2nd Marines on Tarawa and Saipan in WWII so you can understand my fascination with this series and a book by Hugh Ambrose [son of Steven Ambrose, author extraordinaire] by the same title. Each page or scene depicted incredible acts of courage by these ordinary men who answered the call to duty.
The bigger than life heroism of the likes of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, John Brasilone[2] leapt from the screen and the pages of the Ambrose book. His citation[3] “For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry” certainly recalls an act of courage on Guadalcanal . Like most of you, I think of courage as a particular action in the face of incredible odds. The very expression “act of courage” points to a singular event or moment of activity. Are we missing a greater symbolism if we confine courage to specific actions?
World War II is replete with battles, in both theatres, that lasted from four to six months. The combatants didn’t display “extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry” for just a moment or two but everyday for up to six months! For days, weeks and months on end these Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen woke up, pulled on their boots [if they even had the luxury of removing them to sleep], shouldered their weapons and faced the enemy one more time. The mental exertion necessary to face bullets and bombs everyday for weeks on end can not be exaggerated. Perhaps the men enduring these lengthy battles are deserving of the CMH as well for they exhibited “extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry” day after day after day. Maybe the greater courage is facing the enemy constantly, without ceasing and over a long period of time.
Now let me add another element of admiration for the courage of the “Devil Dogs” of the Marine Corps.[4] The Killed in Action [KIA] rates of the Axis troops in the European theatre were between 4-23%. Said differently, the Allies learned that the enemy would quit at some point-surrender-when the odds became overwhelming. All across Europe there were mass surrenders at the end of a major battle. This was not so in the Pacific. The records indicate that when the Marines landed on yet another pile of rock, the enemy would fight to the death. From Guadalcanal to Okinawa the enemy took 86% to virtually 100% KIA rates. This meant that no matter how many troops were landed and how long we had been fighting, the Sons of Nippon were going to fight to the last man standing. How this inevitability must have worn on the minds of our guys. Imagine the sadness of only one outcome, one conclusion, after seeing so much death for so long. This long term valor, this sustained bravery, this ability to face the enemy, day after day, with a horrible end a certainty, has become the yardstick of courage by which I’ll measure men from now on.
This leads me to another dire situation where a man faced a certain, horrible end to his lengthy campaign. Jesus the Christ knew the end of his ministry yet for three years he figuratively, pulled on his boots, shouldered his weapon and faced his enemy in battle every day. Like a soldier, he knew there was no way around the cross and like a soldier facing the inevitable, even he prayed for another solution.
Mark 14:36 "Abba,[e] Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
But he went to the cross willingly:
Hebrews 2:9 (New International Version) 9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Like a good soldier, he followed orders:
Philippians 2 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Like the writer Paul, it’s time to get to the “therefore “of this tome.
This economic crisis has now reached the two year mark [the folks in Michigan Japan
The Hebrew writer used another metaphor to say the same thing.
Hebrews 12
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Lord, I pray that each person who reads this will be encouraged to look to you for their strength in these tough times and in doing so they will not grow weary and lose heart. Amen.
This is part of a numbered series of writings that began with the financial meltdown in October 2008. If you wish to receive the entire series or no longer wish to be copied, contact chiefcredit@tcfbank.com
Tome 24 Bring Enough Gun 10/15/10
Overusing military metaphors to illustrate a point is glaring fault of mine. A reader pointed out my penchant for exaggeration after the last Tome rolled off the printer. He criticized any comparison from the discomfort of our current financial crisis to the ravages of war. He’s absolutely right- but I am not going to quit J as long as they bring to mind important lessons for life.
Springfield
Now let’s get another opinion about being properly “gunned” from a preacher, scholar, writer and jailbird:
Ephesians 6:10-20 The Message translation
10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
13-18 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
19-20 And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that I, jailbird preacher that I am, am responsible for getting out.
A good public speaker always tells his audience what he is going to tell them, then he tells them with the appropriate level of detail and then he concludes by telling them what he just told them. So let’s get to the specifics.
This Ephesians chapter has always been a favorite but is challenging once again. Perhaps that familiarity over the years had dulled its impact or ability to affect me. Maybe my mind responded, “Oh, yea, I know those verses so well how could they possibly have anything new and fresh for me today?” Let me propose that the verses from God’s book and the life lessons that have shaped you so far may be the very thing you should return to in times of trouble. Maybe we don’t need to chase around looking for new answers but are better served by returning to the ones that have survived life thus far. Perhaps these verses or lessons became dear to us because an all knowing Father knew we’d need these truths today. I am being challenged to spend some time in this one passage until I get all there is for me to learn right now. Paul is telling me I need the following ‘guns’ to face today’s battles:
- Truth
- Righteousness
- Peace [see Tome 14 dated 8/12/2009]
- Faith [see Tome 19 date 2/15/9 and 21 dated3/10/10]
- Salvation
- God’s word
- Prayer
- In addition there is an exhortation to…” Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.”
Even though I have written on Peace and Faith in these earlier Tomes, there is certainly a great deal more to be gathered on these weapons an how to use them. So, rather than start in on each of these weapons in this episode, lets think about them together. Let’s start with Truth and kick around what that means to each of you. Send me a note on how to use Truth as a weapon in ….
This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
and rather than me being the authority here, we’ll compile our discoveries. Why do this? See number 8 above. For two years I have pecked out these lines and without fail I have received a response from one of you that was in some way encouraged by the discussion. I think number 8 is a valuable weapon if we intend to leave no soldier left behind.
Look forward to Tome 25 as the second installment of Bring Enough Gun.
[1] Tome-tome –noun 1.a book, esp. a very heavy, large, or learned book. 2. a volume forming a part of a larger work.
Origin:
1510–20; < F < L tomus < Gk tómos slice, piece, roll of paper, book, akin to témnein to cut
1510–20; < F < L tomus < Gk tómos slice, piece, roll of paper, book, akin to témnein to cut
[2] http://www.cimorelli.com/pie/heroes/basilone.htm
[3] BASILONE, JOHN Rank and organization: Sergeant , U.S. Buffalo , N.Y. Accredited to: New Jersey Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands
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