BLOOD & FIRE: GHASTLY OR GLORIOUS

“Ooo, ghastly!” was the response from a colleague when I hosted a faculty retreat at The Salvation Army’s Waioli Tea Room in Honolulu years ago.  I was a young professor at the University of Hawaii just working hard to be accepted by my peers. I arranged for the Army’s tea room/restaurant as the venue for a faculty development day for the

faculty of the Graduate School of Public Health.  After lunch, I gave a walking tour of the Army’s beautiful Manoa Valley campus.  We arrived at the Hawaii Division’s headquarters. Above the entrance was a large crest with the words, Blood and Fire.  For faculty members whose lives were devoted to health promotion and disease prevention, this was a shock.  It was also an opportunity to witness to a group composed mostly of agnostics.  I was able to share the heart of the Army’s mission and ministry and my own experience of Christ’s marvelous gift of a full salvation.

The blood of Jesus Christ and the gift (fire) of the Holy Spirit were God’s two amazing works of grace. The crest made it clear that the heart of the Army and its motivation for ministry was spiritual.  In a very personal way, it was a public “coming out” moment as a Christian and as a Salvationist for me with my faculty colleagues .  I didn’t know how my colleagues would respond in the days and years ahead, but looking back I now realize that my stock relationally with them rose that day because of the straightforward witness to God through the SA crest.   The idea of grace was something new to them, but they were familiar to the idea of compassion and they gave me a dignified, gracious hearing.

As followers of Christ, we are to be bold and courageous, to seize the opportunities as they arise to witness to the grace of God and his work of full salvation.  To do otherwise is to miss opportunities to lift up Christ so that others may see Him in all his glory.  We are called to live in such a way that others see our good works, hear our testimony, and glorify God.  

Lord, thank your for the cross and the gift of your Spirit.  By your Holy Spirit, help us to recognize every opportunity to witness to your amazing grace and to seize the moment to share with others your love. Amen!

Blood and Fire, ghastly?  No glorious!