it's not war ... revistited

About a year ago I posted the below. I felt it needed some dusting off in light of some recent conversations with a few of my dear friends. I see many Christians (myself included) getting caught up in some things other than what we ought.

• doing the work that surrounds or even supports war but confusing it with the war itself
• focusing on some objective that may even be part of the war but confusing that with the goal of the war
• partnering with those that are fighting similar battles and confusing them as being part of the same army

I'm sure there are others and none of these activities are necessarily wrong. That is, providing a hospital to care for the wounded, necessary. Providing programs to rebuild places destroyed in the war, very wise. Taking objectives on the overall road to victory, absolutely. Etc. But there is something fundamentally wrong when we as the people of God mistake some of our activities and passions with the thrust of who we are and why we exist. This is not the time to pull the "we are all parts of the body" card to explain how it is ok to operate in different areas.

Here's the earlier post ...

"It's magnificent, but it's not war!" This was the observation of French Marshal Pierre Bosquet as he observed the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854 (part of the Crimean War). What he witnessed that day was the bloody Charge of the Light Brigade as they crossed the valley against the greatly superior Russian troops on the other side. The British and Irish attack was executed with precision, discipline, and bravery but two-thirds of the men were killed and the objective was not taken. The futility of the action and its reckless bravery prompted the French Marshal Pierre Bosquet to state "C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre." ("It is magnificent, but it is not war.") The Russian commanders are said to have initially believed that the British soldiers must have been drunk.

John Wimber uses this analogy for the church stating the following.

In the nearly 2,000 years since Jesus Christ commissioned His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples, the Church has made its mark on civilization. Empires have risen. Lands have been conquered. Great works of art have been created. Libraries full of theological and philosophical arguments have been erected, all in the name of Christ. The cultural legacy of Christianity has truly been magnificent.

But it's not war, and the Christ life is warfare. ... A war between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. ... Warfare implies an enemy.

Wimber then related a story from the beginning of World War I. The war ministry of London dispatched a coded message to one of the British outposts in the inaccessible areas of Africa. The message read: "War is declared. Arrest all enemy aliens in your district." The war Ministry received this reply: "Have arrested four Germans, six Belgians, four Frenchmen, two Italians, three Austrians and an American. Please advise immediately who we are at war with."

The situation seems ludicrous. How can you fight a war unless there's agreement about who the enemy is? As Christians we are in a declared war, but unless we're clear about whom the enemy is, we'll waste time fighting enemies who aren't enemies at all.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Pet 5.8