The Biblical Perspective of a Military Veteran
Why don’t we get another person’s perspective? My last post was about ministry and serving in the Military, but today, I continue that discussion with an interview I conducted with my Father, a retired 25-year veteran officer in the US Air Force.
He discusses his thoughts and beliefs about several different topics having to do with the ministry in the military, and serving the Lord where He has been placed.
So now, let me introduce to you, Colonel Crane.
How important, in your opinion, is representing Christ in the Military Environment?
I think that representing Christ in any environment that I find myself, Military included, is my preeminent calling. Because Christ is the One that redeemed me back from sin, and I ought to serve Him.
Have you had any struggle representing Christ in your military experience?
I don’t know of any environment on earth where there is no challenge in representing Christ - the military is no exception. But frankly I sensed it was easier to be an ambassador for Christ [in the military], because the military calling (especially forward operations) gives you a special appreciation for our need for our Creator, and an eye opener to our national indebtedness to His providence.
Would you say your military experience has changed the way that you serve?
Definitely. The Military has been my life for the majority of my years on earth. It shaped the way I serve and my perspective, because it opened my eyes to dynamics of life I hadn’t known. One of those dynamics is the appreciation for what is important in life. Moving from place to place, culture to culture, and challenge to challenge revealed how relatively pointless some of the things were that I was caught up in as a comfortable American. I was given a better appreciation of what people went through in the world, and the value I need to put in people, not stuff.
It reminds me of what Peter wrote in the New Testament about Christians being citizens of Heaven first and foremost. And sometimes we forget that and we start acting like our chief identity is our citizenship in this world. Sometimes wherever the world drifts, wherever our culture points, seems the way we must go…to adapt and conform to that. But Paul tells us in Romans to “be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.”
You start realizing that things and comforts aren’t as important as they first seem in light of the plight and sacrifices of many peoples around the world. You start to see what this world is coming to and vividly see our need to trust in a Savior. People are why God has us on this earth, and I need to take my mind off myself and see them with His eyes.
Was it hard to find good Christian churches in your travels around the world?
I never found it difficult to find Christians, but If you are talking about a traditionally organized church like what you would find in America, then yes, sometimes it was difficult to find them, especially in countries that are hostile toward Christianity.
Can you explain something about ministry in the military that a civilian might not understand or know?
One of the dynamics is that people are always coming and going. Unless you find a military community that has a lot of long-term residents that are retired, people are always moving every few years, and so it’s hard to get the stability of their relationships.
On the other hand, because it’s so dynamic, many people have learned that you need to engage and get involved very quickly. And so that was a refreshing part of working in the military, because people were more readily jumping in as soon as they got there, knowing that they have a limited amount of time to serve. They wouldn’t languish for years and years, not getting involved.
In conclusion:
I hope you
learned something today! My father is a good example of how you can learn to
serve the Lord wherever He puts you. And I hope that you might be able to take
this example and put it into practice in your own life. Because, like my Father
said, our ultimate citizenship is in heaven first and foremost.
