“21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” (1 Cor 12:21-31 ESV)

Deeply embedded, the Witnessing Soldier strikes a rare dynamic with his or her enablers back home: fully submitted, yet coaxed and urged a more radical step to take. To dream big, that the handler is in fact not quite so bland or blase or commonplace, but are themselves Radical and Christian, stark and contrasting against all status-quo, respectability, obvious or for-granted position in the community. One to imitate, and to do so with our heart on our sleeve and our minds braced, hot and cool, treading a Novel Line. 

The existence of a Christ event in any generation also comes with it the urgent need to stay humble as for ourselves, to remember just how easily we come apart or lessen our confidence levels or walk through a gathering meek and feeling inadequate; yet we are not formed by our own inventiveness, but rather Receive as a Gift the graduation certificate from life. We can ally with the Christ of said Event, and participate in the Spirit, in the Cross, in the Trinity. Provided we also recollect patient nursemaid or nurseman mentality: people need shepherding, a voice non-critical (so harsh are the negative words, however few, of an Inspiring Presence). And likewise, people need Answers: why, the beleaguered prophet’s lack of a chorus of voices behind them? Why said prophet’s accidental spillage or brokenness or a dozen-plus reasons to demure, to dispute, to dismiss? Because we are not of our own stock, but Made Over by Christ: to recollect our own nagging complaints do suddenly end by… by a show of Power? Of Integrity? Of Purpose? You, after all, are Lord.

The Christian’s witness is therefore unconditionally Joyous, as if having received the Prize. As if having passed muster. As if having elaborated upon the request for Outlandish or Rare or Qualified personally mentalistic deeds, answering to no one for our embedded disconnected channels, in our effort to do His good deeds, to answer His utility in this generation, on our own recognisance, expendables yet beloved. We are beloved for our Utility and Quality-Meets-Ephemerality. We are ephemeral, sacrificed, risked according to a creed: God puts His people out there, on the front lines, embedded, gifted to the community or submitted to the spirits of said community. And in this role we Evangelize. We Share our accolades and our hurts. We speak of strange worldwide games around our meaning, our created status, our tools, our screens glowing in the night. One day Man will be more evolved, but nevermind, he or she will still tip the cap to the fellow-traveler called Ancestry, who was just as good, just as Spirit-led, as the best of our best are this day. Spirit triumphs over the generations.

We don’t know, except that all of it, the longevity, the Purpose, the consistent pressure applied: all is on the table as War threatens, on the table for us to Rise Up to the occasion, pressures on all sides but Firm, living for the Cause come tomorrow. This is our peculiar Right and Duty, in alliance with our Master in Heaven. In firm alliance with all who have gone before us, friends and lovers, neighbors and the blessed apparition as though at the end of a long solo journey. The years have been lonesome for some, but also we who have the Spirit are never quite on our own. We live into our days as incomplete yet complete, as immediately Risen Up by some imputed love our way or confidence booster, or gifted spiritual reality. We were operating at ten percent until something or someone showed up. We had so much to share, as people submitted and kosher, but eager and ambitious for the higher giftings. To put them into action according to our own better angels.