SIGNS

THE WAR
The young men went off to war
The women stayed home and prayed
The fathers stood by and waited
as they remembered their own days
of fighting for justice and freedom

The young men went off to war
they were called up one by one
drafted to fight in battles
but they knew not why

The young men went off to war
some had wives and children
some had homes and loved ones
some had nothing
but loneliness and an empty heart
but just the same
they all marched away

The young men went off to war
off to fields of blood and anguish
off to misery and debris and wounds
that could pierce the soul
cold skies
haunted nights
fear that would steal a grown man's breath
and hatred that could not be quenched

The young men went off to war
a war they could not win

The young men went off to war
and did not return

The young men went off to war
they fought and died
without purpose to justify

A waste
some called it
A tragic loss
others said

But I say
that it should not be in vain

Whatever it is called
as painful as it feels
as horrible as it is
let it be a lesson to us all
that no more lives be lost

Let it create within
a passion
to fight
in the stead
of those who cannot overcome
the evil that slays

Let it be remembered
that we will not forget
the worth of each life
the beauty of innocence untainted
and the corruption and sorrow of choosing wrong

The young men went off to war
and so must we

* * *
The wind blew the shutter open
all the way open
The young boy was now exposed to the elements
The snow rested upon his face
and he turned just enough to stop the cold
he thought
but still it came
He rested on his side
dreaming of warm days and summer breezes
but the reality was
there was a blizzard coming through his window
and creating havoc upon him

Do you ever feel this way?
You dream of the way things should be
how you long for them to be
and yet, reality comes
and it won't leave

A young man's life is cut short
He is given no more breath to dream
or to face reality
He needed help
but the help he needed did not come
He refused some help which was offered
Why?
All that was now within him
could no longer adjust to the changes
the affirmation
the release
the help
but what if his life could have been saved?
What if true hope was offered to him
in the form which would capture his heart
set free his mind
and gird up his purpose once more?
What if you were given the answer to help this one
and many others
and this help would not be refused
but would cut away these young souls
from the evil which destroys?
What if you became the knight of the Kingdom
and had the Power
to sovereignly release these captives?
What if?

Friend, it is actually your destiny
Do not let another one die
when you could be the one
who catapults the evil slayer
to his death
and ransoms the young soul

come and find out
how
we'll wait . . .
"Come away from the death!"
One "son" is now gone
Stand up and say
"NO MORE"

ISAIAH  42
--------
The boy stood shivering
in the darkened hallway as he listened
to the adults talk in the next room.
He was only twelve,
but even he knew of the approaching dangers of war --
even he dreaded what the future might hold.
He peered from where he hid in the shadows to watch
the expressions of his father.  
Anger deepened the weary lines of his face
and fear shone in his eyes.  
Everyone's voice was edged with the dark tone of dread.
The shades of the windows were drawn.
The glowing embers of a forgotten fire burned quiet
and orange in the hearth.
It was late in the night, but the disturbing shock
of recent news was fresh on everyone's mind.
How could horror so vivid and real
come to this land of peace and prosperity?
How could we have let this happen?
*
"The one condition necessary for the triumph of evil
is that good men do nothing."

. . . and my friend, what do you suppose is required
of great men?
Ask and you will know
No more delays
The prison gate swings closed
and the children are trapped
Watch your own . . . they will surely show the signs
of the demise of this country's heritage
Come and sup
You must become a knight
to save your own
and bring forth the deliverance of all children
under your care
*

ONE LIFE
     The man had walked a long way from home.  
He turned to look back now
as he remembered the warmth of the hearth-fire
and the sweet glow of love
that permeated his home.
He ached within to hold the small hand of his child,
to look into the eyes of his young wife,
and to share the stories of old and distant times
with his wise, aging father.
His heart hurt for home.

The path stretched before him and behind him
into darkness beneath a starlit sky.
What would the journey ahead hold?
Should he turn back now?  
Must he continue?
Oh, but he knew that he had to go on,
or there would be no home
that remained
in this land.

He took a deep breath and plodded on ahead,
step after step,
towards wounds and war and tears of pain.

War had come to his country,
as if in a night,
and was quickly stealing all that was good
from the beautiful, rich land
of honest people
and proud heritage.
Could anything stop the evil that marched the streets
and threatened with menacing shouts
and destroyed the future
by fear and dread?
Could anything stop the men in uniform
who now had control?
He often wondered this
and agonized over all
that could have been done in the past
to stop the black shroud
that had now snuffed out almost all
hope or light from the good people's eyes --
only hatred and terror shone in them now.
The man knew his eyes looked the same.

He knew he had to fight now
for all that was being lost --
for all that was once right and lovely and safe.
And with a pounding heart,
he knew that he might lose.
He feared what would become of the land
he loved
if he fought and failed.
But more than anything,
he cared for what would happen
to the children of the land now captive
if he did not fight at all.
Their souls were free and their hearts were
innocent,
but for how long --
oh, how long could they stay the same --
young and bright,
amid chaos and death and bloodshed?

He squinted his eyes in the darkness
as the tears flowed and flowed
and his breaths drew ragged and deep
over memories of innocence shattered
in his own soul.
The bombs had fallen,
the planes had roared overhead,
the alarms had sounded with the wailing of the people,
until, in one blast,
all was silent and gray and ruined.
"Help!  Somebody help!" he had cried.
He was only a small boy at the time.
But no answer came.

Years later,
he traveled far and started a small family of his own,
and tried to forget all that he had seen and heard.
But as time would have it,
he could not escape the evil that destroyed.
War had followed him --
all the way to the peaceful, prosperous village
where he met his beautiful, young bride,
and only two years later,
smiled in joy at the arrival of his first son.

Peace, he had thought,
is what I will give to my son.
He will not learn to hate
as I have.
He will not learn of war with his eyes
or hear its sounds in his ears.
His heart will know innocence and beauty
and his soul will know rest.
I will teach him love
and he will never be afraid as I was.

But war had come,
and with it fire and passion in his own soul
to keep the promises made to this life
bound inseparably to him
by ties of love and hope and shared pain.

What would become of the promises made?
What would become of all the children
of this land once righteously ruled?
What price would he have to pay
to insure that it would be good and beautiful
and full of the things that are pure
that bring joy?
What price would he pay?
What would he give to purchase freedom
for the generations to come?
Anything --
he would give anything.
Even to save one life.
And it would be worth it.
He knew this with conviction,
for when it came to the children --
the heartbeat of his homeland --
he bowed to no compromise,
felt no doubts,
accepted no defeat.

Are we the same?
*
In 1942, there was a group
of eleven teenage boys who were arrested
by the Nazis for their involvement in the resistance.
One of them was quoted by a local newspaper as saying,
"If you older folk will do nothing, we will have to do something instead."

Are you waiting for your children,
your grandchildren
to fight your war?
The evil you battle will come to them
if you do not fight now and win.
Come on!
Quit slacking.
Cry out for FREEDOM.
Stand for JUSTICE.
Don't leave it to the children to fight the war.
Don't be a coward.
Be a man,
a knight,
a Christian,
a hero . . .
Come on!

--------

A SIGN
What is Truth, young man?
Is it an escape from the journey
or is it
the very Journey, itself?

Your heart aches to make things right
to stop the sickness, the impending death
but you are only human
Yes, you are ---
but there is a King
Mighty to Save
Say His Name
Beg that your heart He makes clean and pure
Ready for His Full Habitation and Reign
and then
Come away from the death
Live wholly
Live, as if, all of Heaven
holds you firmly in a Safe Place
Ready to Conquer
Ready to Protect
Ready to be
ALL
that you
need to
BE


Ready?
                    then come
                                NOW!

PSALM 86


A NEW DAY . . .