"Shoulder to shoulder" in Dari, and indeed, there is invigorating sense of unity among our soldiers and their coalition partners.
My higher command structure includes a Canadian, Australian, Pole, and El Salvadorian. Along the compact streets of our post, I pass soldiers from England, France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Mongolia, Albania, and elsewhere. Many of these soldiers specifically requested to be among those sent from their countries to stand with us, shohna ba shohna, in the quest against religious extremism and the subsequent rebuilding effort of this impoverished, war-stricken country.
One of our soldiers is an Australian of Polish descent (Polish-Australian?). His grandfather was a Polish officer who was killed in the Katyn Massacre, one of the grossest and most underreported crimes committed by the Soviets in the lead-up to WWII. His family was sent to Siberia, where they eventually escaped and came to reside in Australia. He dons the uniform with pride.
As much as this setting breeds and fosters a band of brothers, united by common purpose, there is a bond that transcends such great causes: the bond of unity with Christ and His people.
Paul writes in Philippians 1:7, "It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel."
There is a profound bond between believers throughout the world--one that can only be forged by spiritual (i.e., the Holy Spirit) means. Just as a deployed band of brothers share a profound, common experience that others will never comprehend, so the band of Christian brothers and sisters enjoy something beyond human fathoming.
The world as a whole is blind, even hostile, to the Gospel of grace. Who can accept, apart from divine grace, that they are dead in their sin and beyond any hope of self-resuscitation? Who can possibly believe, apart from divine grace, that God Himself put His very Son on the cross to to bear the sinner's death and ransom His life from God's just judgment? Who among the redeemed can explain, apart from divine grace, what it means to be transformed from traitor into friend of the living God?
This message is foolishness to the world, not because it is false, but because we are hostile to it by our fallen nature. We plead our case before an empty judgment seat, and acquit ourselves before a jury of our own feelings. We never stand condemned, because we make the rules. We continue to lisp the lie of the Deceiver--"ye shall be as gods."
This precious bond between believers manifests itself in two ways--by Word and deed. Believers defend and confirm the Gospel. In other words, they serve as lawyer and prosecutor of God's Word before a courtroom of hostile peers. Their words, however warm and winsome (which they often are not), will not win over the jury. No amount of reason or sharing of experience will do the job. In fact, by verbalizing their friendship with God, they make themselves into enemies of the world. They will suffer for this blood-bought friendship. Thus, the Word of this bond gives way to the deed that most characterizes the Christian life--imprisonment (or more broadly speaking, suffering).
The Christian faith does not spread by wielding the sword, but by suffering under its blows. The numbers are fuzzy, but every 12 minutes or so, another Christian is this world is martyred for the faith. One of my band of brothers and sisters, ranging from infancy to enfeeblement, bears the blows of the sword and finds final comfort in the fact that this present suffering cannot compare to the glory that awaits.
A life in Christ, in contact with the world, is fundamentally a life in chains. Yet the chains of worldly hostility do not fundamentally define the believer, for He is a slave to Christ. That is the beauty of this sacred bond and unity between believers throughout the world. They only proclaim grace and persevere in it because they are fundamentally partakers in grace. Their union with one another is rooted in a deeper union with Christ, who brought forgiveness to the very traitors who crucified Him.
For those hidden in Christ, life is transformed. Suffering is not avoided if it must come, but embraced for the sake of He who suffered for our sin. Death holds no power, for it has been vanquished. It holds no sting; It claims no victory. What can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Christians were never meant for power this side of heaven. They should engage in the civil and social spheres will all due energy, but they will never ultimately prevail in those endeavors. The Gospel spreads from blood soaked garment to blood stained hand--all testifying to the blood sacrifice of the God-man, Jesus Christ. His Word and Spirit will accomplish His eternal purposes for His glory. And in His patience, He calls for more to bow the knee in repentance and new life.
One day, the Justifier will come as Judge, and every knee that has not bowed will assume the position in judgment. But in that day, for all who laid down their arms by His grace and became friends, even children, of the living God--they will have their bloody garments washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, find their tears wiped away, and enjoy life as it was meant to be lived--in relation to and for the glory of His name. May His great name be praised!
