Getting Passed Christian Military Metaphors via Christ's Love
Since school I've always had a mistrust of the military metaphors used in Christian circles to get across its message. For example, in school assemblies we would sing 'Onward Christian soldiers' and, even at a young age, I would sense the self-righteousness coming off this kind of smug religiosity - with images of Knights fighting in the Crusades and proudly engaging in blood-curdling violence against 'the Heathen' - as if this would be something that Christ happily approves of and endorses! Even, later in life, as a fully-fledged born-again Christian type, the Biblical metaphors that talked of 'spiritual battles' and so on would leave me cold, or at least would evoke some of these childhood memories, and make me suspicious and feel disconnected from the deeper message being told in Scripture.
However, while I was praying and meditating on some of these scriptures a few days ago it suddenly occurred to me how I might turn these military metaphors on their head. Yes, we are engaged in a profound spiritual conflict here on earth between God and the Devil - and when we think of the depth and breadth of it in all our lives and across the world, we might as well call it a battle. But what we must 'fight' it with is love, and a radical and revolutionary love - which is extreme in its generous-heartedness, forgiveness, kindness, humility, patience, and in its other-focussing compassion. As it says in 1 Corinthians 13, without this kind of love any fight, any sacrifice, any insight, wisdom, rigtheousness, or faith will come to absolutely nothing. Moreover, and as I read in John 15, I realised, too, that this kind of extreme and radical love cannot be of my own making, it must be from Christ and God. This realisation, though, was not a condemning thought, but a liberating one - as all I had to do then was ask (and keep asking) for His Love to take root in my life, and abide or live in me. This was not therefore a heavy obligative and duty-bound burden that I had to carry to exercise this love, rather it was a constant turning to something outside of myself - to receive his Love which then could be passed on with freedom and lightness of spirit.
So, I've been thinking and praying about all this for the last few days and I am at last seeing passed the silly, hateful, and small-minded pride of the military metaphors often used in Christian circles, toward a wonderful and beautiful landscape of joy, peace, and lightness, that is the victory of Christ's Love given to us all, which we all yearn for and seek. We are in a battle certainly as we are, in many subtle, and not so subtle ways, drawn away from God's Love in our lives, but we can always win this Love by surrending to Christ's transformative and resurrected power - a power that is exercised through His Love coming into our lives and making us more whole and well, and more able to live life to the full in the way He intended!
However, while I was praying and meditating on some of these scriptures a few days ago it suddenly occurred to me how I might turn these military metaphors on their head. Yes, we are engaged in a profound spiritual conflict here on earth between God and the Devil - and when we think of the depth and breadth of it in all our lives and across the world, we might as well call it a battle. But what we must 'fight' it with is love, and a radical and revolutionary love - which is extreme in its generous-heartedness, forgiveness, kindness, humility, patience, and in its other-focussing compassion. As it says in 1 Corinthians 13, without this kind of love any fight, any sacrifice, any insight, wisdom, rigtheousness, or faith will come to absolutely nothing. Moreover, and as I read in John 15, I realised, too, that this kind of extreme and radical love cannot be of my own making, it must be from Christ and God. This realisation, though, was not a condemning thought, but a liberating one - as all I had to do then was ask (and keep asking) for His Love to take root in my life, and abide or live in me. This was not therefore a heavy obligative and duty-bound burden that I had to carry to exercise this love, rather it was a constant turning to something outside of myself - to receive his Love which then could be passed on with freedom and lightness of spirit.
So, I've been thinking and praying about all this for the last few days and I am at last seeing passed the silly, hateful, and small-minded pride of the military metaphors often used in Christian circles, toward a wonderful and beautiful landscape of joy, peace, and lightness, that is the victory of Christ's Love given to us all, which we all yearn for and seek. We are in a battle certainly as we are, in many subtle, and not so subtle ways, drawn away from God's Love in our lives, but we can always win this Love by surrending to Christ's transformative and resurrected power - a power that is exercised through His Love coming into our lives and making us more whole and well, and more able to live life to the full in the way He intended!
Comments
Post a Comment