The Church and D-Day

I recently finished reading “D-Day” by Stephen Ambrose. Kristi and I had watched Band of Brothers a few years back and my interest in World War II was further stoked by conversations this past year with my Grandfather who served in the Navy during the War. A short blog post can in no way do justice to the sacrifice and bravery of our armed forces, but I wanted to share 3 lessons that I think the Church can learn from D-Day.

1. Courage: The courage of these men against the defenses of the Atlantic Wall is just amazing. The simple fact that the airborne troops would jump from their planes into a storm of artillery and tracers not knowing whether or not they would arrive on the ground dead or alive is enough to give me chills. How many times have I wimped out in my relationship with Jesus? How many times have the words of God’s love stuck in my throat because I was scared of offending someone or too lazy to say it? God, give me courage!

2. Working Together: It’s incredible to read just how focused everyone was in the United States in the war effort and how everyone worked together. Whether it was the soldiers on the front line or farmers providing food or workers in defense plants making planes and artillery or volunteers helping roll bandages—everyone labored together sacrificially. This was Jesus’s prayer for the Church: “May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.” God, make us one!

3. A Common Cause: Eisenhower said this twenty years after D-Day: “It’s a wonderful thing to remember what those fellows twenty years ago were fighting for and sacrificing for, what they did to preserve our way of life. Not to conquer any territory, not for any ambitions of our own. But to make sure that Hitler could not destroy freedom in the world. I think it’s just overwhelming. To think of the lives that were given for that principle, paying a terrible price on this beach alone [Omaha], on that one day, 2,000 casualties. But they did it so that the world could be free. It just shows what free men will do rather than be slaves.” Oh, that our common cause would be to know Jesus and nothing else! God, help us to know the fellowship of your sufferings!