FOR JESUS’ LOVE 17
Leadership Traits
By
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (November 12, 2017)
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (St. John 21:15-17, King James Version [Christ’s charge to Peter]}
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,
My sisters and brothers, there comes a time---I wish I could promise you---I did not promise you a rose garden---life without suffering is not possible---the life we live is our own---for every action there is an adverse reaction…all the beginnings of explaining what happens in life when the uncertainty of human decision making and human errors throw us into the abyss of a darkness we have never known before this time but then of course, there was and still remains for all to question---the darkness of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. I do not wish that you should suffer so, for the greatest cost of suffering so, was paid for---pressed down, lock, stock, and barrel---by none other than Jesus. I felt the pains of many pains in the lost of my loved ones when death chased them down and took each one of them away from me. I felt that pain of detachment, loneliness, and despair---seemingly all at once, when my heart opened up threatening to go into an attack. I had to release it all to Jesus and as I reconciled with God, the release was afforded to me, to just let go and let God. He is the avenger of us all---He who sets the crooked straight, so that the blind can see and the lame can walk, in the light of the day and in the grace of light by night. My God is the avenger---our God Almighty, the Great God of War.
Interestingly enough, David and Bathsheba’s story involved deception in the death of David’s soldier Uriah---his right hand man---facing death on the battlefield. David’s love for Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba proved to be the undoing of Uriah’s marriage and life, for King David sent a message with Uriah to give to the soldier-in-charge---a message that ordered Uriah’s eminent death on the battlefield. There are times when you know that
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the events as spelled out and told to you were not the truth of what happened on the battlefield that caused death. For in the David and Bathsheba’ story David ordered the death of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah. Uriah loved David and fought hard and strong for King David on the battlefield yet David ordered his death for David laid with his wife, Bathsheba while he was in battle and made her pregnant. What a web of deception was weaved when David thought to deceive---because he could not get Uriah to go lay with his wife so he could say the child his wife carried was Uriah’s child [Uriah stayed at the King’s palace with King David saying he could not go to his wife during a time of war, II Samuel 11th chapter]?
And as art imitates life, we watched the movie tale of a soldier’s story when the sergeant-in-charge a black man over the infamous black troops who at that time had not received orders to fight yet just meandered at a military base cleaning and doing tasks unbecoming, for in gist they said anything the white soldiers do not want to do, colored soldiers will do for you, so the black soldiers were not proud of their daily routines outside of battle so much so the low-morale caused the sergeant-in-charge to fight one of his black soldiers, in front of everyone, for all the troop to see and ultimately caused the same soldier abandoning late night guard duty to kill his sergeant later in the story when he happened upon his drunken sergeant, lying alone on a dark road late at night. A black captain, who most of the soldiers black and white---had never seen a black captain before was sent to investigate what happened to the black sergeant-in-charge of probably the only black troop, at that time. It was both poignantly ironic and just plain sad for the black captain to find out the soldier who killed the sergeant was thought of highly by the sergeant because he fought him back, which led the now dead sergeant to say he planned to promote him. The deception around the sergeant-in-charge over the black troop led folks at the military base to believe wholeheartedly that the white soldiers those who were Klu Klux Klansmen did the dastardly deed that killed the sergeant.
Now, there is a story that a beloved green beret was captured by a terrorist group which led to his eminent death, which explains the story of why his body was not found for 48 hours since the bodies of the other army green berets were found---murdered. Of course, the events did not reveal that the soldier was separated and captured by the terrorist group who took command of the territories abandoned by a country that once protected those lands from terrorist overtake. The deception still thickly ominous but no longer innocuous and blameless for who was at fault that caused the soldier to walk into the hands of the terrorist and why was he---the black soldier the only soldier captured, later murdered and body found near another neighboring country border. The black soldier’s wife was not sure the body in the casket was the body of her husband for she did not see his body in the closed casket. As the deception unravels, we look to how the
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story unfolded as the story of David’s deception of ordering Uriah’s death unfolded and as in the movie’s tale of a soldier’s story the sergeant’s death was committed by the same soldier he planned to promote for he admired him for fighting him back, unfolded.
More importantly, today I feel a sense of faith when I searched the name of another brave soldier, our 25 year-old green beret soldier from south Florida who answered the call to give the ultimate sacrifice overseas when in a critically-acclaimed special force mission, death took him away from us, forever but he remains in our hearts a good soldier, for he fought the good fight unto death, for the saving of humanity across the shores---many shores and many waters, so that we might live another day---another hour—another second without the imminent fear of death overtaking us as we sing our songs, Jesus is on the mainline and chant, give God the glory. He did not die without cause, for he faced men who believe there is a God just as he did, for our soldier had to believe in God to take on such a mission with the possibility of death---for green berets are known just for that getting in there finding out the wherewithal’s and whatever to further advance a corrupt and dangerous society of misled and misfit citizens in a strange land to a peaceful outcome. He faced men who pray everyday to God all day long so much so until many folks make fun of there faith to pray relentlessly each day like that. What do you think?
Those folks of wrapped heads believe in God---do you hear me, those folks believe in God, even if they do not want to honor or accept the leadership of Jesus then, as the head of all peoples in the world---they still pray to God, constantly petitioning God to honor their requests. So, God gave them a stronghold which our American men walked right into because the forces of righteousness retreated due to political issues leaving a once-highly manned and protected area unprotected, thusly claimed and taken over by the locals of men who fight for causes of greed---not so much that to them, for they will say it is a holy war and with their cultural belief in prayer, do you think God does not hear them, for we walk by faith, not by sight [II Corinthians 5:7, KJV, Hope of immortal glory]? Do you think with all those prayers that they constantly send up to God, forsaking Jesus as the great intercessor, do you think God does not hear them? Do you remember how God gave Job to Satan---do you not suppose that God was not there, with Christ Jesus on the battlefield witnessing the world of peoples advancing on one another, threatening each other with death and destruction. For whose sake?
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How long, LORD, do we suffer under the guise of belief in God, when we know it is disbelief---unbelief that ruled that day yet we know that God did not let us lose our dearly departed loved one, our soldier who represented us so well, for 86 million people searched his name online to find out more of what happened to such an ambitious and well-deserving young man of honor--- who will make a difference for the men of the future who walk in harms way. He did not shy away from the task---as dangerous a task as it was and as big of a mess that it was proven to be---he faced it all, for you and me---for the forgotten nations, for the nations of peoples who others say there is nothing good coming out of where they live. On this day, let them not say there was nothing good coming out of south Florida, for a highly honorable soldier did and all those who came before him who took the missions of unto death, in a relationship with their government, in which Jesus carries the burden, do you not think God and Jesus were there on the battlefield and his Holy Ghost spirit leading him to carry on, for he was not left behind even though it took 48 hours---two days to find his body--- there was his body waiting for the people of his nation, to find, claim and return him home to his loved ones---a nation mourns, I tell you, a nation mourns for the lost of such a Great one as he. Let us all walk with Jesus, on the battlefield, carrying the blood-stained banner of peace.
Most importantly, Benghazi could not take him away, for righteousness prevailed to bring peace to confusion, of heart and mind, when the past circumstances confounded us in an unfounded affront unabashedly taken back and saddened in the shame of how the events of unto death for those men occurred---standing alone like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, in the fiery furnace but there was another man there---in the fiery furnace with them---who was that man, do you not think that God and Jesus, were there, for who else could cover a soldier in the prayers of his ancestors and in the prayers of all his loved ones, hoping that he returned home---right back to them, each time he was called to leave them---to go serve, in far away lands. The world is a scary place when you think of all the disheartened souls that feel the fight in them is the fight of their life. So, our beloved soldier did not see them again. Rightfully so, they are all broken-hearted and wondering why were they chosen to remain, here on earth, because believe me, you can just as easily die on the streets of America with 50 men chasing you down to death amongst your loved ones as you could die in any foreign country of strangers.
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In closing, we must not let our fellow soldier’s death be in vain and break us up in so many tiny pieces shattering us so, in all that we know and believe in a broken heartedness until we give up the ghost and die, too. We must gather our courage---our strength back up in the wholeness of Jesus, to face each blessed day, for each day is blessed, for us to carry on but we must not forget the impact that a great soldier made on our lives to walk with Jesus at home and in far away places, always leaning on the LORD, trusting His every word, for He never failed us yet. I saw those folks on the battlefield, with their turbans on their head and broken teeth in the deserts of the valleys of death---smiling for God did not let such a strong young man stay but America is still able for God is able. Do not give up the fight---and stay in the faith of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus---our refuge, for the wings of eagles did carry his body back home to the United States of America and we thank God, for that. God be with you.
Furthermore, we know what we are capable of, in anger---our anger in the one body. For in Eve, we know what came out of Eve, the fall of man. For in Adam, we know what came out of Adam, the fall of man. For in Satan, we know what came out of Satan, the fall of man, death and destruction, and sin. For man, we know what came out of man, the Great flood. We know what we are capable of, so let us look to the higher power of God, Christ Jesus to lead us, through this unforeseen death yet possibility of death that a soldier inherited in his job and mission, back to the peace of a song in our hearts.
God be with you. In the Name of Jesus. Let the spirit of Christ Jesus protect you. Amen.
