Veterans Of Good And Evil

I’m a fan of the Star Wars movies. At the end of the first Star Wars movie that debuted in 1977 (Episode IV for those in the know), we find the forces of good launching a desperate attack on the immense and seemingly impregnable enemy stronghold. Despite all of their weapons and defenses, there is a weakness. To exploit this weakness and destroy the enemy's mighty battle station, all the forces of good have to do is navigate a fighter ship through a narrow trench and shoot a torpedo down an exhaust port that is about six feet wide. Sounds easy enough, right? The forces of good carry out their attack as planned. As they enter the trench to approach their goal (the exhaust port), they discover it is protected by enemy gun towers that are mounted all along the trench, and they realize that enemy fighter ships are closing in to attack. It doesn't sound as easy anymore, does it? However, despite the opposition and the odds, the forces of good press on, and it is during this sequence that we witness a very noteworthy scene. Three pilots are making their attack run. One is a veteran; the other two have less experience. As they approach their target, the three find themselves being shot at from the front by the fortress' guns and from behind by the enemy ships. As the less experienced pilots give in to fear and doubt, the veteran pilot calmly utters: “Stay on target...”


We live in a broken world and the writers of science-fiction duly note that when the time comes we will find ourselves living in a broken universe. As long as there are people involved, there too, good and evil will exist. The battle between the two will never end so long as mankind continues to recognize the difference between right and wrong in our relationships with one another. This conflict extends from the home to the school, to the workplace, in governments and on the battlefield. There are veterans of all sorts who have served proudly to defeat and contain evil and a lot of them find themselves broken physically and spiritually. Thank, honor and encourage a battle-weary veteran today.


[John 3:16-21] It happens more often than your think. A car gets hit from behind by another car. No one is hurt, and the damage to the rear bumper appears minimal. The insurance company instructs the owner to take the car in for a closer inspection and repair estimate. During the inspection, they discovered that the damage is more extensive than first thought. Then an insurance letter arrives a few days later that begins, “Your vehicle listed below is a total loss.” It goes on to explain the reasons that they chose not to repair the vehicle. The very next day, a tow truck shows up at the house and hauls the car away. A total loss. There’s not much that’s complicated in that phrase. It all came down to one decision—the cost to fix what was broken was more than the price they were willing to pay, so it was cheaper to declare it a total loss. God could have easily looked at our lives and said, “The cost to fix what’s broken is not worth the price I’ll have to pay.” It wasn’t just a dent or a scratch caused by our sin, but a complete separation between man and his Creator; a severing of our relationship that required, not money, but the blood of his perfect Son to repair. What if our Father had decided we weren’t worth it? What if our Savior had been unwilling to pay with his own blood? What if we were simply beyond repair? When Jesus wanted to communicate the value of one sinner to the Father, he told, not one parable, but three—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. Each parable drives home the same message, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). One sinner, at extraordinary cost, and God says, “It’s worth it.” Our Savior says, “I’ll pay.” The redeemed say, “Praise God.”