09/30/50

This is not a time to make a patriotic speech, neither is it a time to take a scripture text and preach a sermon. This is a time to try to interpret to you men who are going away from us to do a job just how the religious community of your hometown feels about your going. All of us who have crowded into this house of God tonight have come to give silent testimony to some very deep feelings we have for you National Guardsmen as a group and individually. My function here tonight is simply to put into words the thoughts that are in all our minds; to serve as the mouthpiece for some of the sentiments that are pounding in our hearts.

We want to say to you first of all that we have gathered here as an expression of community pride that we have such patriots as you. We are proud that though there are a few Alger Hisses and Harry Golds, who in our nation’s hour of need turn traitor, we have here in High Point young men like you who are ready to quit the comforts and pleasures of home to endure the hardships and perils of the battlefield for country and for God.

So our gathering here this evening takes on something of the proud rejoicing of the people of Israel when their nation was delivered from bondage to the Philistines by the hand of that young patriot David. You remember the story of how David, the young man, when all the old warriors were afraid, went forth with courage and trust in God to fight the giant Goliath, saying: “Thou comest against me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou has defiled. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand.” And when David won the victory, and Israel’s conquering army marched home, the people of Jerusalem came out of the city to welcome their deliverers, singing in gratitude and joy and pride: “Saul has slain his thousands, but David has slain his ten thousands.”

So we are gathered here this evening in thankful pride rejoicing that we have such patriots as you — that old America does even yet nurture such sons “who more than self their country love and mercy more than life.”

But there is a second sentiment in all our hearts this evening and it is far from joyous: we have gathered here also as an expression of our concern for your welfare. You are going away from home in uniform and our hearts are heavy with many an anxious thought for your safety.

There’s another incident from the life of David which mirrors our emotions tonight. It is the story of the old king who stood by the gates of Mahanain while the battle raged. Anxiously David waited tidings of that day’s encounter. Upon the outcome of that battle, his throne, his crown, his very life depended. But each messenger who comes from the battlefield to bring the king news of whether or not his forces have won the victory is accosted by the anxious David with just one question: “Is the young man Absolom safe?” He is not asking: “Who won the victory?” or, “Am I still King?” or, “How did it go with my army?” “Have I lost my kingdom?” He does not ask any of these questions that deal with the issues for which the battle was being fought. But David asks: “Is the young man Absolom safe?” This is David’s one, oft repeated, anxious question. For him, all was bound up in that. If his armies win, his throne be saved, and yet Absolom, his son, be lost, then all was lost.

We are all concerned over the final outcome of the fighting in Korea. We steadfastly hope and trust that the armies of the United Nations may be victorious. The freedom we prize and even our very lives may well be won or lost in this war. But as it was with King David in the long ago, so is it with us tonight. Important as the international issues all are, our first concern is the safety of those near and dear to us. Ours are only human hearts. As the members of our National Guard go away into service, the question we will increasingly put to each bit of battle news will invariably run: “Are our young men safe?

Noel Coward’s play, Cavalcade, pictured the life of an English family over a quarter of a century. In one scene near the beginning we see the family together in their London home on that night in 1914 when Britain declared war on Germany. Each member of the family reacts differently to the news. The father is grave over the possibilities of this conflict’s spreading over the whole world; the young son, enthusiastic to enlist, reminds the father that the world is so very large, that it will be a small, short war; and the mother, who has already lost one son when the Titanic went down, says sadly: “Yes, the world is large, but my world is so small”. Our world is small, and you fill a large part of it.

But ours is a concern tonight, not only for your physical safety, but also for your moral and spiritual safety. You are going away from the restraints and supports of home and family and church. You will soon be in environments that try men’s souls. Though we are concerned for the safety of your bodies, we are more concerned for the safety of your souls. We know Bishop Anderson was right long ago when he said: “War makes few conversions. War only makes people more strongly what they were when the struggle began. If they were intemperate when they went into uniform, they will become much harder drinkers by the time they come back home. If they were careless of sex morality, they are almost sure to have become more slimy in that respect. If they were noisy braggarts, you may expect them to return intolerable boasters. If they were selfish, their selfishness will be increased. If they were honest, decent, modest men, the war will usually have increased these good qualities. If they despised God, they will come out more sure in scorn; if they loved God a little, they will have learned to love him a lot. But there will be no more conversions than in peacetime, rather less. All history shows that no religious revival ever began or was fostered by battle.”

I remember the words of my mother when I left home: “Your father and I have had you for 18 years, and if, in that time, we haven’t showed you the right, it’s too late to begin now.” So tonight, its too late to do other than to call to your remembrance the teachings of home and school and church and exhort you to remain true to the highest you know.

As you put on the Khaki and fasten the strap of your helmet under your chin and take up your rifle — remember also to put on the whole armor of God for your moral and spiritual safety — that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Put on: “The breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, and take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.”

Finally, our meeting tonight is a community act of committing you men of the National Guard and our common cause into God’s hand. This is a religious service. We have come to God’s house. And we come each one seeking to do more here tonight than merely to express human sentiments and friendly concerns. We come seeking the divine blessing upon our undertaking — we come invoking the eternal power of God in this venture.

Again, I invite you to turn your thoughts to an incident in the life of David. The time is that unhappy and unfortunate season of conflict between David and Saul. Civil war has cut the bleeding land of Israel. David and his men are hard-pressed in the forest of Ziph. Their enemies are closing in on all sides. David is surrounded by treacherous, deadly foes. And Jonathan, Saul’s son and David’s best friend, hears of his friend’s serious predicament. What does Jonathan do? The scripture record states: “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went into the wood and strengthened his hand in God.” What does Jonathan do? He goes to his endangered, warrior friend and strengthens his hand in God.

Oh, what a friend was Jonathan! When dangers gathered round David, Jonathan came to him and strengthened his hand in God. Simple, but beautiful words! He put David’s hand, as it were, into God’s hand, in token that they were one, in token that the Almighty was pledged to keep and bless him, and that when he and his God were together no weapon formed against him would ever prosper. Surely no act of friendship is so true friendship as this, to remind our Christian friends in their day of trouble or danger of their relationship to God; to encourage them to think of His interest in them; to drop in their ear some of His assurances — “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” — “the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms” — surely this is the best of all ways to encourage them and to send them on their way rejoicing.

That is what we would be doing in this sacred service. We, like Jonathan, have come up to God’s house of prayer in the hope that, in the lifting up of our spirits and our heart’s desire unto God, we should send you guardsmen forth with your hands strengthened in God.

But it is not only you men of the National Guard whom we would commit into God’s hand in this solemn service — we would also commit our cause and ourselves into His hand. Only thus can we do our part in mobilizing the spiritual resources needed for a real victory. It is not enough that we mobilize our manpower and material. We greatly err, if we think this conflict in which we are engaged is simply a contest of skill and material might. It is a spiritual battle. “Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood only, but against principalities and powers and against the spiritual hosts of wickedness.” Our communist enemies are not just ordinary wicked people who are doing atrocious things which they know are wrong. They believe it is right that they should do these things. It is not enough that we should win a victory of arms over our enemies; we must be victorious in spirit over the false gods of our enemies, on the one hand, and over our own materialism and selfishness and pride and greed and lust on the other hand, or we shall win no victory at all.

An so in prayer, let us commit ourselves and our cause into God’s hands:

 

PASTORAL PRAYER

Almighty and most gracious God, in this evil day of warfare and suffering and sorrow, grant us the grace as courageous Christian soldiers to put on the whole armor of God. May we be constantly on the alert in prayer. May we be enabled to withstand and having done all to stand.

Hear us as we pray for these men who have answered their country’s call to colors and go forth to defend the freedom and liberties of an invaded land. Do Thou guard and defend them in all their actions and guide them in all their ways.

We pray, O righteous Father, not for the victory of our nation, our race, our alliance of nations, or our political doctrine, but we pray for the victory of Thy cause, Thy Kingdom. Grant that we, as a people and as an alliance of United Nations may champion Thy Cause and be used of Thee to destroy the evil forces which have arrayed themselves against humanity and against Thy will.

As the battle grows fierce and we receive our wounds — grant us in our own hearts the victory over all sorrow and suffering and loss, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

• Scripture Reference: n/a • Secondary Scripture References: n/a • Subject : Patriotism; Liberty; War and peace; Moral and spiritual safety; Friendship • Special Topic: n/a • Series: n/a • Occasion: Union Service for National Guard Unit — Alerted for Active Duty • First Preached: 9/3/1950 • Last Preached: 9/3/1950 • Rating: 3 • Book/Author References: n/a