Band of Brothers

I love a great war movie... give me a series of five and I'm set for the week. Band of Brothers was just that kind of series for me. It's been a few years since I watched the entire series but every once in a while I catch a piece of one of the episodes on the History Channel (now so affectionately known as History... they dropped the words THE & CHANNEL... seriously).

I'm not sure if it is the violence, the portrayal of an actual historic moment, the underlying story within a story or just the title itself that appeals to me the most but even if you have never seen the series... the title says it all.

Band of Brothers.

I have been priveledged over my lifetime to have had several bands of brothers. When I was in high school there were six of us. We had affectionate nicknames for one another such as bullet-head (that was me), spud, big russ & mush. Now that I think of it... we had names for each of our cars and trucks. Then again in college I had a larger band of brothers that all answered to the name of snagger. And yes, even as a semi-grown man I have also had a band of brothers... the MEN I served with for the better part of the last twelve years.

In each of these phases of life there have been common threads that spread throughout. In every band... one would have done anything for the others. There was always a selflessness involving each man in his own way. In every band... no matter how much time had seperated us, we never had to catch up... we always had that timeless bond. In every band... each played a very specific role towards the others. In every band... we lived life to its fullest... together... unconditionally.

In the last few weeks I have rediscovered a philosophy that has gripped my soul. It comes from chapter 11 in the book by John Eldredge, "Wild at Heart". It says...

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

What the world needs most is MEN who are fully alive. Alive in Jesus. Walking, laughing, running, seeking, honoring, loving God with everything that is within them... fully alive. Forget performance and requirements and all of the expectations of those around us just long enough to grab hold of what it means to be ALIVE! Breath in the fullness of what God has placed around us. Listen for the undertones of life... the beautiful bass line that drives the rhythm of your passions. Stop long enough to grab the hand of a brother who is drowning in their own mess.

What everyman needs is a band of brothers. Come to think of it... Jesus had a nice little band of brothers.