LBW 183, “The Son of God Goes Forth to War”
Devotion
In our worship and preaching we shy away from images of war. We prefer to focus on the “Prince of Peace,” who brought reconciliation, harmony and love into the world.
True, being a Christian is to be loving and compassionate. But there is a sterner side to the Christian life. We are part of the monumental, cosmic battle between good and evil. John the Baptist and Jesus, as well as countless others who came after, were killed by evil forces arrayed against them.
Those who find themselves unattracted by Christianity as a “gentle” religion need to look again at the life of Jesus, a brave and gallant person who stood up to the powers that be, faced the forces of evil head on and was killed, only to come back triumphantly to life. His drama is the great war of the cosmos, and we are now part of his army.
Prayer
O God, arm us with your Spirit as we too face the evil surrounding us on all sides. Amen.