“21 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple 5 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives. Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem 20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. The Coming of the Son of Man 25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” The Lesson of the Fig Tree 29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Watch Yourselves 34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” 37 And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.” (Lk 21:1–38 ESV)

The soldier in Remove, in Repose, in personal Revision, nurses wounds most real but most nurtured. The soldier is not some Heightened variant on the Man, the Woman, but precisely in said nomenclature—soldier—is implied, no royal lineage, no lofty styling, no presumptuous rigamarole, fuss, attribution, but rather an Urgency, a Haste: we have no time to lay in sick beds. More, we are done and done with any and all navel-gazing, any and all Obsession about the self, about the Person, about the Fascinating rambling, rampant, sinner in each of us. We are Called to Duty. We are Servant to Mankind. Servant to Civilization. Servant to a reward stored up for us in Heaven, but ample patience and longsuffering here on earth.

Christianity teaches some Story we can mine and realize into any and all necessary Absolving Power, any and all Courage for the Hour, any and all Irony Realized. That Christ literally became sin. That He knew the accusing glare better even than we ourselves. That He lost Everything on that Cross, yet did so that He might be raised up. The soldier is likeminded to Christ, momentary realizations now one’s will and last testament. We Realize: the plain Joy of life most alive, in the barracks, in the trenches, on the good ship Patience, in the fly-by formation called Love.

Theological points, they arrive and they disperse, but the Man of the Hour Jesus of Nazareth, is not forgotten. Yes, and unforgetful we shall remain. We are certain of this, that as we bask in His gracious light, we are upending and turning topsy-turvy entire cabals of ornery and witching craft. Christ’s religion is first of all Pure, and then Gifted, free for the taking. Hear, O soldier and O prophet, that the gladsome Tidings of the Evangel are ours to own here and now. On other fronts we are beleaguered and indecisive, harried and frustrated, but today, here and now, we are in seventh heaven.

Those martyrs of old spelt out a mission, “Be of good cheer Master Ridley, for tonight we shall sup with the King…”: wherein truly we have lost sight of all ambition and all self-adulating pride. The good Priest comes alongside of us and says, I see this quality in you (had you forgotten?); I see that quality of soul, of mind, of gracious friendship (had you forgotten?). Our addiction to a level of Pain… this too shall pass. Christ is the same today and yesterday and tomorrow. Like a faithful confidant, He hears nifty theological platitudes, and acquiesces, says, “Yes, thus and so you may ponder…”. He says, “Yes, thus and so you may entertain your thinking aspects, but the reality is in my prayerful walk to the Cross…”. Like a dying father or mother, He expresses His joy in our created status and creaturely inklings of eternal life. We have inclination to think on Eternity; He simply calls us out to live in the Now. Headed to the Cross. Patient when the pain seems too great. Alienated and removed from the Network. A soldier down behind enemy lines. Our heroism goes topsy-turvy, utter confusion seems to rain down; we forget even of our Father Above, as though it all was some scam. Rather, we ask: is anything I do vouchsafed in Truth? Is it after all Solid, Truth, Pained Reality? And the answer is that God will comfort the hungry. God will be by the side of the suffering. He will not long dawdle over the proud and the greedy.