Saving Private Ryan
I just finished watching "Saving Private Ryan" again for the "umteenth" time. My wife was out of town so I watched it alone. She was never really very fond of it. Yes, I think I cried more than ever while watching the now old man fall at the grave of the Captain who died saving the Private. Sixty years earlier, while watching this Captain die on the field of battle, Ryan had to endure hearing the last words of the dying officer say, "earn this". Today, few know the real cost of freedom or the blood that was shed securing it. It's a difficult thing to have to endure listening to someone, without a clue, speaking against the process of democracy. It's a delicate thing this democracy and not without it's problems. Yet, generation after generation, we have those arise who are the cynics of that day. Cynics are "fault finders". They don't have answers nor the courage to pay a price for change but they continue to spew forth the cheap words of protest. There are times when it would appear that each generation is going the way of the cynic. However, by the grace of God, when each generation faces it's hour of crisis and is confronted by it's own challenge of tyranny, the heros arise. From the cities to the farmlands they begin to march toward their own potential demise for the sake of the common good. Again and again they make decisions that often go against reason in order to seek to ensure that the next generation has the right to protest or to serve based upon their own internal motivation.
We have the same problem in the church world. So many see only the problems of the church and yes here too, we have those with all the answers but no stomach to work for the cure. Will we continue to see those arise, generation after generation who will hear the Call and sacrifice for the Mission? I know we will. I choose to believe that and not hear the cynics. When all is said and done and the voices of the nay sayers are silenced, I only want to know that my Lord will say to me, "well done thou good and faithful servant".
I just finished watching "Saving Private Ryan" again for the "umteenth" time. My wife was out of town so I watched it alone. She was never really very fond of it. Yes, I think I cried more than ever while watching the now old man fall at the grave of the Captain who died saving the Private. Sixty years earlier, while watching this Captain die on the field of battle, Ryan had to endure hearing the last words of the dying officer say, "earn this". Today, few know the real cost of freedom or the blood that was shed securing it. It's a difficult thing to have to endure listening to someone, without a clue, speaking against the process of democracy. It's a delicate thing this democracy and not without it's problems. Yet, generation after generation, we have those arise who are the cynics of that day. Cynics are "fault finders". They don't have answers nor the courage to pay a price for change but they continue to spew forth the cheap words of protest. There are times when it would appear that each generation is going the way of the cynic. However, by the grace of God, when each generation faces it's hour of crisis and is confronted by it's own challenge of tyranny, the heros arise. From the cities to the farmlands they begin to march toward their own potential demise for the sake of the common good. Again and again they make decisions that often go against reason in order to seek to ensure that the next generation has the right to protest or to serve based upon their own internal motivation.
We have the same problem in the church world. So many see only the problems of the church and yes here too, we have those with all the answers but no stomach to work for the cure. Will we continue to see those arise, generation after generation who will hear the Call and sacrifice for the Mission? I know we will. I choose to believe that and not hear the cynics. When all is said and done and the voices of the nay sayers are silenced, I only want to know that my Lord will say to me, "well done thou good and faithful servant".
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