Recently I watched the 1989 movie "Glory", the story of the first Black American squadron in the Union Army during the Civil War. It is a story of transformation in the name of doing the right and honorable thing. It contains scene after scene portraying the erosion and eradication of lines of status and class that had been previously immovable and unquestioned. When the Colonel, played by Matthew Broderick, is leading the squadron (marching on foot) towards the battle at Antietam, the moment comes when he dismounts and sends his horse (a large and powerful mount) behind the lines.
He is no longer elevated.
He is truely one with the squadron...no longer on the high horse. In fact he faces certain death as he surrenders his previous shelter that had been granted by his "office". Yet his leadership is stronger and his followers vigorously embrace the passion for the cause at hand. Here's the scene.
Many people of faith have a before and after story. St. Paul wasn't the first Christian to tell the story of transformation, perhaps, but his story is one of high drama, color and passion. He freely included his story as he taught others about Jesus Christ. Take a look at his words to the Galatians .
It seems to me that each one of us has a story to tell. It may not include being knocked down, blinded and persecuted. And we may not step to certain death and burial in a mass grave as a result of our commitment to the Christ.
However, each of us, if we are honest, can say something about times when our thoughts and actions were challenged (and then guided in a new direction) by Jesus. Old patterns are upended. Blinders are removed from our eyes. Broken hearts and twisted priorities are embraced by God's Love. Life, authentic life, begins to unfold in previously unimaginable patterns.
We have all been in gatherings when the personal account of the intersection of God and Human History has been spoken. Although stories passed on second or third hand have value, our most compelling witness is when we share what we have seen and experienced in our own lives.
Accept this as an invitation to reflect upon your own story of faith transformation, or deliverance. When has God broken into your life? Have you ever been knocked off (or willingly stepped down) from the high horse of status or self esteem? What happened? What was God able to accomplish when you became "less" so that God could make you His "more"?
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