“17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy. 3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. Timothy’s Encouraging Report 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” (1 Th 2:17–3:13 ESV)

Trained to roam, trained to soar, trained to Dwell in earnest Security, the Christian Soldier of the Cross meddles no longer, charges of one soldier to another: not “messing around”, “goofing things up”, and so on: others talk codes of silence, we talk Citizenship, Membership in the Community. We are Soldiers with a brotherhood and sisterhood easily overlooked, underappreciated, taken as a given, behind us.

Earnest dwelling in Security, the perimeters unbroken and the walls sturdy for the course, the dome of Iron Will, umbrella most subterranean-like, the Soldier lives two or three levels of planning and thought beyond the uncredentialed or the bored, uncaring, otherwise-occupied populace. And this Soldier, he or she can even tear up, be tempted to “repent” of her or his Confidence in the Living Savior Christ. Mistakes we all make; missing an occasion to live into the Needsome, Obvious sayings and proclamations rooted in Pastoral Care, in Sermonizing (speaking some Truth), in checking the socially-acceptable box. Because our Faith is this, that every Jaunt or Outlay or Sally Forth is utterly Risk-Taking, not Risk-Averse, it is as though we with gladsome flamboyant Cheer were making a bit of a joyous Last Will and Testament, and that being one Unpretentious, Unproud, Unself-serving.

More, the Soldier is simply “there”, and to run into an old friend or sibling walking by the street corner… this is a Treat and Reward, because whilst Soaring, we are also Malleable and Gifted; they are going through a lot; have they even had thoughts of siblings-love, friendly Experiences Past walked all over, erased, suggested otherwise. The forbidden Friendship now blessed as two high-dwelling, utterly Invested upon, self-composed and Present, souls in dialog, in a brief jaunt around the block.

And the sign of a gracious lover is that we imagine Talking about just anything with them; we live up and into recollections of a few things we might have said, but as a thought-object, as a What If and a few Steps of Reasoning Ahead, we envision it being “okay” to unburden or to come clean. With some token reminders that we Care. With some fledgling Hope that it Ain’t So Bad, after all. With some attempts to Prove we are composed and not in error.

Roaming, soaring, Dwelling in earnest Security, the eagle has set flight, perhaps, or perhaps all we were eager to share is of a Benign God Above, who loves us, who tentatively, boldly though, risk-taking, does Venture Forth with a gambit, a truth claim, a collective sigh over things ruinous to soul, to individual, and to Family. We concede nothing, except that in that going-about-our-day’s-business it suddenly haunts us, things we’ve lanced forth with. The soldier must Cope with self-hatred, with regret of actions, with stock Shock at what and whether they’ve gotten Up To. Yet somehow, it was a last testament and Will “just in case”; we took the stride around the block half seriously, and hale in banal forgetfulness: this is your chance to speak as a dying man or woman to dying men or women. And if we live thirty, forty, fifty, sixty more years, they will be years lived in a Community we’ve labored long and hard to fit in to. And fit in we shall, because God has decreed a Day when all shall be judged… by the Son (Daughter), by the Worried Prayer Warrior, by the Anonymous Listed Email Inbox (one of dozens, super special). That we “sullied the water” with militant talk, when all should be cheer and Positive Vibes… let it be, insofar as maybe this was an invite to Sign Up. We are unashamed of our Career of Service, service to the Saints, service to the Suffering and Oppressed Peoples, service to a gambit called “Preach it”, called “Speak up, young one”, called “All is forgiven”.