“12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” (Rom 2:12-16 ESV)

The entire frame can change in the day of battle, as an ounce of humor or a stand with largesse dominates the picture. By a stand with largesse is meant, that the good Christian soldier is full of cheer and of that special elixir called joy. The good Christian soldier is well aware: all of us are sinners. All of us stand under the same condemnation. And all of us rise up, therefore, forgiven.

Touch and go, witnessing, and the amount of words to file away as a “friend of the court” briefing, they are called presumptuous or outlandish and in a time of war, on the brink of war to some, but a time of war: single words can both scuttle, and can save, much labor. We are always on the brink, of the wrong email, of the taciturn error of silence as well. And to ask permission: to file the friend of the court briefing with the team back home, with the powers that be, with the bald assertion: I come in peace. Because of the Prince of Peace.

With the outlandish assertion: we all of us benefit from an intrusion, spiritual intrusion, that is, spiritual rude awakening, non-contact sporting, of said Humor, Joy, Largesse, self-composure. Every frontline soldier is doing battle on two fronts, one being the internal drive met with the internal angst, the question of pushing the button or the question of avoiding said button.

The internal battle hearkens to said Prince of Peace, to said Christ, the heavens declaring His handiwork, and more: the hearts attesting to the power of Change. Of life amendment and Change. To back away but remain, in our respectively, contrastingly small frame, nonetheless Peace and Intact. To try to approach all things like Education: warriors’ tools used to upbuild and structure and enable Education of the foe and the miscreant. One day education. Indeed, if we rightly recognize the opportunity and the need, Today Education.

The soul of man, of woman, is earnestly in need of that invisible Blink or Elixir that recognizes Ultimate Things, yet applies with childlike sincerity perhaps, or with nefarious ambition to others. Yet the so-called accusation of a “coup-de-grace” is never ours, rather jointly owned, our own deeds and service-mindedness used in company, in summit, in tandem, in unity. We strategize, or others strategize where our own levels of knowledge and education lag. Where life experience lags. Christ is about a patient three-year sojourn in which He healed by way of educating. Teaching by way of introducing the Spirit. 

The shatter factor, the inbreaking of a Pentecostal Joy, is some mysterious thing shrouded in secrecy but full of Personal Applicability. Accountability. The heavens declare: low the route, O soldier. Low the duty-bound elevation: strangely elevated the moment we first humble ourselves. Because anyone who leads, whether a small cohort of “street urchins” or a professional squad, is entrusted precisely because of having made solemn confession. To the Spirit. To the Father in Heaven. To the casual best friend or the patient teacher. Speak, O Man! Where is your battle being waged? Where your testing of mettle? Have you passed basic training? Have you been spiritually Educated as to things of the Spirit? The patient sage who runs things by Spirit? And the unity of other spirits in this same unwitting participation in the Pentecostal Event, in the excitement and bliss and hard work inspired and in the air. We will be okay. We have our mission before us, our handicaps and breakages known and healed from; in all, the burden was just at our level though it seemed like utter loss and futility. Though it seemed like we were taxed beyond our measure. Others have gone farther, but we will be happy to find our own Nirvana and Homestead. For God is Love.