Posted by
stevo on Saturday, April 28, 2007 4:08:39 AM
A recent report on Fox News indicated that the Army is hundreds of Chaplains short of their intended goal. Some probably wonder--Why would the Army be so concerned about recruiting a few more preachy, self-righteous, non-combatants?
Amidst the fog of war, I believe one thing becomes crystal clear: the need for answers. The false security of easy answers is quickly dismantled in times of crisis. Human effort is often needed and spent more on restraining evil than on building some sort of idealist utopia. The triumph of human reason is shown to be a more preemptive declaration than "Mission Accomplished." Human beings, with their inherent value, lose their individuality as they become statistics.
Into the void steps the military chaplain. He who truly receives the call of God to be a chaplain does not come bearing easy answers. He does not praise human effort or proclaim reason as the salvation of mankind. Tears for each person killed are not lost on the chaplain. Rather, he comes bearing the message of truth as an ambassador of the King. As the 18 year old dreamer of big dreams bleeds to death in a theater of battle, the chaplain offers words of life that are not his own.
In a time not too far in the future, I hope to wear the uniform of the U.S. Army. My rank may be Lieutenant, but my title will be Ambassador. I will share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have no use for easy answers and false hope. I will explain that there was one human being on this earth who was not enslaved to the evil and death of humanity, but was born of God to offer hope of salvation. This salvation is not the product of the work of man, but of the work of Jesus Christ. He lived the perfect life that sinful man cannot, and offered Himself as a sacrifice on behalf of those who believe in Him. As a result, by faith that He produces in sinful hearts, men who believe in Him are forgiven by His death, and are credited with His righteousness--that when God looks upon them, He sees the perfection of His Son representing them.
This is the message that must ring in the ears of every soldier--the message of life in Christ. May God equip this sinful messenger to do such work--with love, truth, and courage.