Making Allies of Enemies
Being the small country it is, Liechtenstein never had much of an army. In fact, the last time it had one was in 1868. But in 1866, during the Austro-Prussian War, Liechtenstein sent 80 men to guard the Brenner Pass between Austria and Italy. When the war was over, 81 men (not 80!) returned.
Where did the extra man come from? History offers many versions, with most suggeting the extra man was a defector who either simply "liked" the Liechtensteiners or decided life and work in Liechtenstein was preferable to whichever country he was from. Either way, this soldier decided to turn his back on his past and ally himself with the Liechtenstein forces. As such, the army enjoyed a net gain of one man from marching into "battle."
As Christians, we are at constant odds with the world around. As we march into battle do we see the unsaved as enemy combattants to be conquered, dragged away as prisoners of war? Or do we see them as potential allies, whom we can welcome into our ranks, marching home from battle arm-in-arm with them?
In a world at war, be a Liechtensteiner!
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ..." (Matthew 28:19a, ESV)
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30, ESV).
"My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20, ESV).
Evidence of Noah's Flood
- Older than Genesis is the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh, a king who embarked on a journey to find the secret of immortality. Along the way, he met Utnapishtim, a survivor of a great flood sent by the gods. Warned by Enki, the water god, Utnapishtim built a boat and saved his family and friends, along with artisans, animals and precious metals.
- Ancient Greeks and Romans grew up with the story of Deucalion and Phyrra, who saved their children and a collection of animals by boarding a vessel shaped like a giant box.
- Irish legends talk about Queen Cesair and her court, who sailed for seven years to avoid drowning when the oceans overwhelmed Ireland.
- European explorers in the Americas were startled by Indian legends that sounded similar to the story of Noah. Some Spanish priests feared the devil had planted such stories in the Indians’ minds to confuse them.”
Once again, history bears witness to the veracity of the biblical record. And just as the Bible can be trusted when it speaks of ancient history, it should also be heeded when it speaks of future history. For just as Noah's family was delivered by faith in God's promise, so it will be at the coming of Christ.
"The Christian Who Never Was"
During World War II, the British developed a decoy mission to draw German forces away from Italy so that an invasion of the southern mainland of Europe could be carried out. The goal was to plant false information into the German's hands giving them the impression that the Allied forces were intending to invade Greece and the Balkans rather than Sicily. The mission was called Operation Mincemeat. Using the body of a dead soldier, the military outfitted him with an officer's uniform, "official documents" of the British army, a fake note from his sweetheart, letters from high-ranking Allied commanders, and even a pair of ticket stubs to a drama performed in London.
They then dumped the fully dressed body with papers and all off the coast of Spain. This gave the impression that his plane had crashed and that he had washed ashore. The German's found the body, recoverd the falsified documents, accepted the man's identity as genuine, and considered him an authentic British officer with top secret papers about a planned Allied invasion of Greece and the Balkans. Of course, the real invasion took place at Sicily where Allied forces met much less resistance and suffered much fewer casulties than if the full German force had been there. A book detailing the work of these British soldiers in preparing the operation was written after the war entitled, The Man Who Never Was.
Many of us are just like "the man who never was." We put on a false front by pretending to be someone we're not. We work hard to give the impression that we have it all together. But the underlying reality has little to do with the presentation.
"Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?" (Proverbs 20:6).