This was their finest hour…

I’m a massive fan of the 80’s; something I once wrote about in my bygone blog of yore.  I got horribly excited tonight sitting in my livingroom watching “Bonnie Tyler’s 100 Greatest Power Ballad’s” on some random music channel.  I got particularly worked up when they played Heart’s – ‘Alone’.  I think my housemates may have been concerned about just how overly enthusiastic I was being.  For me, this weekend was a real milestone in this perspective.  I love 80’s movies as much as I love the music, and Stallone’s Rambo series is definately up there as one of my favourites.  When my friends and I scheduled our little trip to Ballymena cinema to see the 61 year old reprise his role as the Vietnam War Veteran, it dawned on me that it would be the first Rambo movie I’d see in the cinema; a sentiment one of my good friends echoed on the walk up towards the cinema.  I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the film.  I thought that it held onto a lot of the things which Rambo movies should be about while introducing a really deep and thought provoking plot.  I thought the movie was especially touching given the recent resurgence in media interest regarding Burma and the conflict therein.  Yes, I admit, on talking to a friend in the cinema lobby, I was quick to acknowledge the sheer amount of violence throughout, but to me, that’s what action movies (especially those of 1980’s genesis) should be about.  The violence is handled, the action scenes are well choreographed and the blood-lust which ensues from about 3 minutes in may well be archetypal of the worst kind of violence which Burma endures.  In my opinion, therefore, the harsh fights and gore throughout doesn’t degenerate the fantastic storyline at all.  I’d definately reccomend going to see this if you have a bit of time to spare.

I guess it’s ironic that I should start with an introduction regarding John Rambo.  You see, aware of the fact that I haven’t posted regarding Belfast in ages, I wanted to write something which would keep you folks aprised of just exactly whats going on.  In many ways, I guess I can draw on a lot of sentiments expressed in Rambo in order to do so.

“You know what you are, what you’re made of… War is in your blood…”

“Live for nothing, or die for something…”

 - Excerpts from Rambo

Before I begin, I really have to say, that if your interested in Northern Irish politics, the current state of investment in this little porvince’s capital or where you could stay on a trip to Belfast, you probably won’t find it in this post.  When I say that I wan’t to talk about Belfast, I mean that in a spiritual way…  Please, allow me to continue.  I once laughed until I cried when watching an episode of World Wrestling Entertainment.  Just over a year ago, Virgin media and Sky had a bit of a falling out.  This little dispute resulted in our wee house in South Belfast losing its Sky One viewing privilledges.  This was a great loss in our household given the fact that Sky One provided us with The Simpsons -a-plenty to watch over dinner.  When we lost our connection to Sky One, one of the guys I used to live with quickly discovered that Wrestling just happened to be on a different channel at our dinenr time.  It quickly became popular; pretty much because it had just as much comedic value as the Simpsons with actually a little bit more of a sheer laughter factor.  This ‘occurence’ which had me falling over with laughter was something which one of the commentators said regarding a certain wrestler of Northern Irish descent.  In one of the matches, the commentator was quick to point out;

“This match should be great.  Finlay is at the top of his game and he can handle more than most.  This guy is tough; he grew up on the streets of war torn Belfast.”

Granted, this Finlay chap was born in Belfast in 1958 and yes, he grew up at the height of the troubles, but I think that the commentator grossley misjudged the state of Belfast.  Yes, it certainly has it’s share of scars and certainly, I don’t want to be misquoted as having somehow played down the mass-trauma which the troubles caused within the city, but I don’t think that the almost post-apocalyptic picture the commentator was painting is completely akin to 60’s Belfast.  There is, however, one horribly ironic thing that I should note at this juncture.  Yes, many believe that the troubles are behind us, but I firmly believe that the war in Belfast is just begining.

“We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods.  We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds.  With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10 v. 3-5

You know, the books of the New Testament are bound up by exactly this kind of military rhetoric.  Paul constantly refers to how Christians should be waging war in the context of what he says in 2 Corinthians, mentioned hitherto.  On five ocassions, he refers to Christians having to ready themselves; preparing for the battles to come by dawning the Armour of God which he explains more fully in Ephesians 6;

“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil.  For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.  Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.  In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.”

In the 2nd chapter of Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, he refers to Epaphroditus as;

“..a true brother, a faithful worker, and a courageous soldier.”

In his second letter to Timothy, chapter 2, Paul says;

“Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  And as Christ’s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army.”

and later, in his letter to Philemon, he says something similar;

“This letter is from Paul, in prison for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.  It is written to Philemon, our much loved co-worker,  and to our sister Apphia and to Archippus, a fellow soldier of the cross. I am also writing to the church that meets in your house.”

I mean, this is no coincidence.  Paul knew that there would be a war waged on this earth.  I don’t want to sound cliched or cheesey, but at the very basic level, this war which is going on is not dissimilar to any generic plotline you’d see at the movies; simply put, it’s a battle between good and evil.

I guess this brings me back to Belfast.  You know, since September, theres been a real air of anticipation in Belfast.  I should say really that it’s an air of anticipation which is permeating Chruches, Prayer Meetings, Christian outreaches, C.U.’s and Missions all over the city.  I mean, I don’t know if it’s being felt in homes, offices, nightclubs or pubs (even though I may believe that it is) but I can tell you this, it’s definately hitting Queen’s University.  Take 2 or 3 minutes to read this post if you want to get a sense of what I’m talking about.

I must admit, at times, I’ve echoed those kinds of sentiments in my own blog, here, here and even here, but lately, I’ve felt like I lost that divine spark which got so many of excited about the prospect of revival, of revolution.  That’s pretty much why I wanted to post on Belfast this evening.  You see, even though the Troubles may or may not be in Belfast’s past; Belfast is probably more war torn than ever.  I mean, sure, you can walk down great Victoria Street without worrying about incendiary devices and yes, there is less of a police presence and little left of the old army checkpoints on street’s throughout the city but really, how much did those kinds of things ever mean in the first place?

“…except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”

Psalm 127 v. 1

Sure, the troubles are in the past, but what are we left with?  Stabbings outside nightclubs, rapings around the university campus, excessive binge drinking, crime, vandalism, poverty, vagrancy and the list goes on.  I mean, I’m not by any means suggesting that these things weren’t inherent in Belfast life during the troubles, but the point is that there still here now and probably worse than ever.  Truth be told, that if an outside observer took an objective look at the good vs. evil war going on in the city right now, they might well think that evil was decisively winning.

Is this what I believe?  I mean really, it’s hard to say.  On more than one occasion, I’ve talked about with this with a friend and we came to the same conclusion.  Sure, we observe these micro battles going on around us; in a country, in a city, in a home ot even in someones own heart, but realistically speaking, we can’t really see the big picture; the macro, the war.  Sometimes I actually feel like the devil and God are fighting over this city; fighting on a plane far beyond our comprehenison and understanding.  To me, however, this HAS to mean something.  I don’t think that Christians around this city are all feeling the same way for nothing; I firmly believe that God is stirring and awakening his people here and that in little corners of the city; those last few bastions of good in a city in the grip of evil, something is amazing is happening.

In a prayer meeting a few weeks back, I couldn’t get one phrase out of my head.  I don’t know, maybe it’s just my over-active obsession with Angels and Airwaves but I couldn’t stop thinking that somehow, we were being ‘called to arms.’  I guess thats what Paul was talking about throughout his letters; warning churches that they may be feeling themselves gripped by a war beyond their comprehension, but a war to which they may well be drafted.  I had said a few paragraphs back that I felt like I lost my anticipation; that I couldn’t find that little something which was formerly exciting me, exciting lots of people in Belfast.  I suppose that’s not entirely true.  I was thinking about it on Thursday night.  Myself and a friend were talking about evangelism in Belfast and what God is doing with the city.  Needless to say we were baffled.  We both pondered the fact that the dreams of revival and revolution which had so gripped us months previously had come to no avail and how our excitement had petered out a little.  At that moment, I was struck with a little more of that wonderful Godly irony.  You see at the minute I’m studying a little bit of evangelical history and recently I’ve been looking at 1859; the year of the last great revival in Ulster.  I guess for a long time I kind of thought that a revival would be an instantaneous movement of the Holy Sprit; something akin to the events of Act 2.  I imagined that somewhere, somehow, there’d be this spark whcih would ignite the whole of the country in a Christian revival.  The thing is, that wasn’t even how the story went in 1859.

People in Ulster had been thinking and praying about revival for years before it came in 1859.  At one point in (I think) 1858, there was a prayer meeting attended by thousands in Belfast’s Botanic Gardens; a meeting arranged purely to pray for revival.  Yet here we are, maybe 6 months after we first started thinking about it wondering why God hasn’t delivered on the things he’s put into our heart’s and minds.  I don’t know why I was so surprised by this revelation on Thursday night; I mean it was written right in front of me;

“O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case?  Have you never heard or understood? Don’t you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.  He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.  Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up.  But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

Isaish 40 v. 27-31

So on Thursday night, I came to a one word conclusion; patience. I think I re-discovered the spark that I had lost, the anticipation, the wonder and the excitement, but this epiphany came the most real of undertones; that I, that we have to have patience.  Moreover, this time of patience is also one of preparation.  God tells us that strength will rise as we wait on him so until such times as God’s endgame for Belfast is revealed, lets prepare, let’s grow in strength, lets polish our armour and dust off our swords.  I can’t help but get the feeling that Christians in this city are being called to arms, so lets answer that call, let’s fill the billets and start our drills.  Someday, I firmly believe that our commanding officer is going to sound the charge, and I like to think that I’ll be ready for that day.

What the flip does that have to do with John Rambo.  I conceed, that maybe some will read this and think that I’m writing in a vein so concieted that it’s irelevant, but think of it this way; if we profess to being Christ-followers, then we have excepted the charge which he has given us.  We have accepted that we are called to arms in a spiritual war and that we are to conduct ourselves as the kind of Christ-like people; the kind of soldiers which Paul describes throughout his letters… Some might say that if we truely know who we are, then war is in our blood.  I guess that even from his first movie, Rambo always had two options.  1) Forget who he was, what he was meant to do, accept that his life would mean nothing and live a quiet existence.  On the contrary, he had number 2)  Accept who he was and fight for what he believed in, fight for what was right, even if that meant he had to die for it.  At least then he’d die for what he believed in.  I guess I feel like as I am typing tonight, I’m personally being challenged with those same two options; live for nothing, or be prepared to die for something. 

“For I know that as you pray for me and as the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will all turn out for my deliverance.  For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or I die. For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is gain.”

Philippians 1 v. 19-21

I suppose it’s hard to conclude (an already long) post which looks towards the future, but I will say this, I believe that God has big plans for Belfast, and I believe it starts in the hearts and minds of those same people whom he has called to arms in this wonderful city.

“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”

Sir Winston Churchill – 18th June, 1940

Sure, in Belfast, the troubles may be over, but the real battle for Belfast is just about to begin.  I have no doubt that the devil will unload his fury and might upon us here, but with Gods help, if we can fight that, if we can resist the evil in this city, if we step forward as Christ-followers and as fellow soldiers under the banner of the gospel and do what we can by God’s will to stop this city from slipping further into darkness, then God’s freedoms can abound.  So let’s use this time of patience, let’s build what strength we can and brace ourselves for what is to come.  If we uphold those things which we profess to as followers of Christ, if we stand up for Jesus and we try and bring hope and salvation into the darkness  and brokeness of this city, then maybe, one day, in glory, we’ll hear a voice speaking to us and saying “…this was your finest hour.”

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.  He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come,  and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.  To all who mourn in Israel,  he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.”

Isaiah 61 v. 1-3