Like lots of guys, I dig war movies. My all-time favorite..? David Lean’s classic The Bridge on the River Kwai. Now, before I go on, I have to make a disclaimer about this choice. My wife and I have a dear friend named Howard who is a ninety-five year-old World War II naval veteran who spent three years of his life in Japanese POW camp working as slave labor on the railroad depicted in this epic film. He points out three glaring inaccuracies in the movie:
First,
the Japanese Howard knew would immediately and unhesitatingly execute anyone
who refused to work. Second, the friendly natives who rescue William Holden in
the movie were in real life confederates of the Japanese. These were the guys
who sold out Howard and his USS Houston shipmates to their captors. Finally
(and most obviously), the bridge, which—spoiler alert—is blown up at the end of
the movie, is actually still standing to this day.
Giving
Howard his due (and God bless him for his patriotic duty to our country), I
still love The Bridge on the River Kwai and
I watch it whenever it shows up on the classic movie stations. I just get a
chill during that famous scene where the British soldiers, ragged, bleeding,
and militarily defeated, march in perfect formation into the jungle prison camp
while whistling the jaunty “Colonel Bogey March.” Even as they approach the
prison where death awaits, they maintain dignity and a bit of frivolity.
I
also love the character of Colonel Nicholson with his bulldog-like tenacity.
This soldier is determined to abide by a gentleman’s civilized code even when
surrounded by a nightmare. When the whole world has gone insane, a sane man
seems crazy. Yet Nicholson sees beyond the chaos and maintains a code of
discipline and hard work in order to save the morale of his men. He has them
build the bridge as an act of pride and service for a post-war generation, even
though in doing so he is aiding the enemy.
A
dogged devotion to the code of Jesus Christ might seem equally out of place in
this frightening world. How do we love and love sacrificially when our own
world is falling apart? How can our joy be complete when we hear about riots in
Baltimore, seven thousand dead in Nepal, a refugee crisis in the Mediterranean,
and terrorist attacks in Texas?
How?
We just do it. We stand up straight in the jungle of racial tension,
depression, economic uncertainty, family squabbles, and general dysfunction,
and march on to the direct order given to us in the Gospel lesson (John 15:
9-17) by obeying the code:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and
your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
For
the sake of the greater cause, we are willing and empowered by the Holy Spirit
to love our enemies and sacrifice our own grievances, irritations, and
indignities. It is at the times when our lives are the most chaotic and
uncertain that some defiant and irrational joy is called for. Faith does not
determine if or when we are rescued from life’s jungles. Faith determines how
we march through them.
Jesus
in John’s Gospel reminds us:
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my
love…” (John 15:10)
We
are called to march lovingly and joyfully in the assurance that we abide in
Christ—the one who chose us.
God’s
love, peace, and joy be with you all. Thanks for reading.
PS-If you'd like to see the scene I've referenced above, just click here.
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