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STAND
TOGETHER AND FIGHT!
by
Bridgette Mongeon ©2002
Who would have thought a scene from a blood and guts Hollywood
movie could have such an effect on my faith?
I was awestruck by the scene the first time I saw it. Profound
was the hidden message that the Holy Spirit was sending me.
The
movie was Gladiator. I struggled through most of the movie
hoping to find some reason for watching, until this simple
scene. Maximus, played by Russell Crow, is a Roman general that
has become a slave and is now sent with many others to the
Coliseum arena to fight. The slaves position themselves and
proclaim "We who are about to die, salute you". All
salute except Maximums who refuses. Here starts my lesson. It
doesn't matter what arena you find yourself in or what battle
you are about to fight, there is only one King and He is the one
that deserves our honor.
In the arena the scene plays as follows:
MAXIMUS: Anyone here been in the army?
FELLOW-FIGHTER #1: Yes
FELLOW-FIGHTER #2: I served with you in Vindobona.
MAXIMUS: You can help me. Whatever comes out of these gates, we
have a better chance of survival if we work together.
Do you understand?
If we stay together, we survive.
It is his Kings army that Maximus is speaking of. If these
slaves have been in the Kings army then he knew they were
trained to fight. The visual of this scene is astounding. Most
of the men are wandering the arena challenging the adversary
with their individual strength one by one they are killed. But
the group who decides to follow Maximus come together in a
circle. The large shields protect not only the front but also
the side and the top of each person within the circle. There is
no place for any attack to get through. The only things that you
can see other than shields are the swords that stick out between
each shield. Often times the swords damage the adversary in his
own assault.
MAXIMUS: "Come together...stay close...lock your shields,
stay as one....."
You would think that this is a defensive maneuver, but those
shields do more than you think. One chariot tries to ride close
to the circle of warriors.
MAXIMUS: "Hold ... Diamond! Diamond!"
The slaves nearest the chariot do as ordered, changing the
positions and the angles of their shields to the diamond
formation. The chariot's wheels ride up on the shields,
unbalancing the chariot so that it flips over on its side. The
Legionnaire is sent flying to the ground as the chariot slides
on its side away from the circle. In this Diamond maneuver the
shield is used in offensive position.
I believe we, as Christians, sometimes must ask this same
question. "Has anyone fought for the King?"
Sometimes we will find that the attacks by our adversary feel
overwhelming. It is at this time that we must do as Maximus,
gathering warriors around us to pray and hold up their shield of
faith locked with our own. We in turn must also commit to doing
this for others. Surrounding those in leadership of our church,
gathering around our friends, children and our families.
In this position it is also important to speak exhortation and
encouragement to those we are protecting, continually reminding
them of their truths. This is the sword that sticks out from the
center of our circle. The sword of truth in Ephesians is the
Word of God. We must speak this truth to our comrades reminding
them that God loves them and is using
them, that he will see us through this and that whatever the
adversary sends out of the
gates we will work together to defeat it.
Knowing that if we stay together, in faith, we survive!
Bridgette Mongeon is the sculptor of the God's Word
collectibles series, a
writer, educator and professional speaker.
God's Word series http://www.godsword.net
Fine art bronzes http://www.creativesculpture.com
If you would like your child's likeness considered for a God's
Word
sculpture http://www.godsword.net/models.html
The
Plan
By
Teresa Kindred
www.teresakindred.com
"God
had bigger plans for me than I had for myself," the
character in the movie said, and I've been thinking about that
line ever since.
When
I look at the tapestry of my life I can see God's hand weaving
the threads together. Over the years I have made many, many
mistakes but there aren't any flaws in His weaving. Jesus' death
on the cross-unraveled my mistakes and knit the single strands
back together into the unique design He has in mind for me.
Looking at what He has woven is fairly easy, it's looking ahead
that's hard.
I
want God to be the weaver of my life and yet when I pray I find
myself telling him how the finished product should look. When I
look into my imaginary crystal ball I hope to see: continued
growth as a Christian, success with my writing, all five kids
through college, all five kids marrying faithful Christians,
lots of healthy grandchildren, retirement and travel with my
husband. There's nothing wrong with asking for those things, but
I also realize that my wishes may not be his wishes and when
things don’t turn out the way I’d hope for it doesn’t
necessarily mean I’ve failed. We mortals are so visually
attuned to success that we tend to think if we don't win the
prize or get the trophy we haven't made a difference and that
just isn't true.
I
went to a funeral last week and as I looked around the crowded
room I couldn't help but wonder if the lady who died knew what
an impact she'd had on others. She and her husband didn't have
any children but she was a teacher for forty-five years. She was
also active in her church and in community service. She fed the
hungry, cared for the sick, visited the shut-ins, and continued
to do so until her years and her health finally slowed her down.
She
definitely made a difference, and yet there were probably times
in her life when she wondered (just as I occasionally do) if all
the good things she tried to do really mattered. She probably
had moments of feeling insignificant in a world where most of
the time only a handful of movie stars and athletes are
recognized for their accomplishments. She may have even asked
herself, "Why do I even try?"
But
because she was a Christian after a moment of doubt I'm sure she
remembered that our plan is not His plan. She remembered the
crown of thorns, the bitter gall, and the way they spit on our
Savior and mocked Him. She remembered that there were thousands
of angels in heaven just waiting for him to call out to them, to
rush to his rescue, but He didn't call because no matter what He
wanted, His death on the cross was God's plan. God gave us His
son as a mediator. He gave us the Bible as a road map for our
time on earth. If we believe, obey, and put our life in his
hands, He will not leave us.
When
you are discouraged and feeling insignificant...when things
don’t go the way you think they should... when life seems
unfair... when the good guys don’t win... when suffering and
pain seem beyond what you can bear...remember that even when we
don’t understand God always has a plan for us, and it just may
be bigger than the one we have for ourselves.
This
article is copyrighted by the author. All Rights Reserved. No
part of this article may be reprinted without permission of the
author.
©Copyright 2002
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