An "Over the Line" Life

Colonel William Barrett Travis knew the situation was hopeless.

He was in command of a rag-tag group of rebels holed up in San Antonio, Texas, in an old Spanish mission called the Alamo, surrounded by thousands of Mexican troops under the leadership of General Santa Anna. Travis offered a final opportunity to the men gathered with him inside the walls. According to legend, Travis drew his sword and scratched a line in the sand. He then challenged all those who were willing to stand and die for what they believed to cross the line.

The choice Travis put to his men couldn’t have been clearer. It was a classic “black-and-white” decision:

• CHOICE A – Stay, fight, and accept the consequence for their actions and convictions.
• CHOICE B – Give in and surrender to the force that surrounded them.

Choose this or that — period. No third option, no “middle ground.”

The stakes were ultimately high. One side of the line meant life and general comfort. The other side represented sacrifice, pain, and probably death -- a fact that was certainly in sharp focus.

While the “line in the sand” story may or may not be true, we do know that a life-or-death choice was, in fact, made by each man in the Alamo. History records that in the early hours of Sunday, March 6, 1836, Santa Anna’s forces breached the walls and eventually killed every Alamo defender. But their courageous stand inspired an army and their sacrifice fanned a flame of passion that led to the establishing of the Republic of Texas.

It’s not too much of a stretch to draw the parallel that as Christians – and especially as soldiers of The Salvation Army – we too are surrounded by an enemy force that would like to eliminate us. And like the Alamo’s soldiers, we have to choose to either make an uncompromising – often uncomfortable – stand for our convictions and our mission, or give in to the pressures of culture, peers, and critics all around us. Clear cut choices of right and wrong, good or bad, courage or cowardice, participant or by-stander, are put in front of us on a daily basis inviting us to choose a side and act accordingly. And the choices we make will either inspire others to similar acts of faith and courage or give them reason to question our beliefs and write-off our witness.

Generally speaking, today’s society doesn’t like well-defined lines — let alone people whose actions are determined by their beliefs and convictions. In fact, there are many who work very hard to blur and distort much of what is clear. Today’s culture tells us that there are few, if any, moral absolutes, truth should be left up to the individual and his/her circumstances, and that open-minded acceptance of everyone’s point of view is the preferred attitude of the day. Consequently far too many of God’s soldiers have become uncomfortable with openly declaring a firm position or opposing view about most of what goes on within their circle of influence. Rather than crossing the line, taking a stand, and making a difference, they sit back and blend in with the crowd, allowing people to sink deeper in sin and continue their slide toward Hell.

Friends, this kind of compromise and fence-straddling is simply not an option for the Salvationist!

Tell me… When was the last time you reviewed the terms and conditions you agreed to live by when you were sworn in and enrolled as “a true soldier of The Salvation Army”? The day you signed your Soldier’s Covenant, you made a choice and stepped over a line to make a clear declaration as to where you stood, what you believed, and how you would behave as a result of those beliefs (Check out the 10 “I will…” statements in the “Therefore” section of your Covenant.).

I wonder… Do you still feel that way? Does your life agree with your Covenant? Do your choices inspire and encourage the soldiers around you, spurring them forward to action?

I’m convinced that as Salvationists, we are called to be activists for Christ not passive spectators. This line is clear. The question is which side of it are you on?

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot…!

Willis