‘Send Me More Salvationists’
“Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims. If any man tells you he went into the front line and he wasn’t scared – he’s a liar.” — Harry Patch (WWI Veteran)
On a good day, homesickness was a constant companion, numbing the mind and assaulting the body. On a bad day, this emptiness was overshadowed by death and destruction that filled the senses with overwhelming hopelessness. Many of the 4.8 million American troops who found themselves mobilized to fight in World War I lived through horrors so offensive that we are hard-pressed to fully grasp what they experienced. Before it was over, 116,516 Americans died, and another 320,000 were wounded.
However, amid this suffering, a light shone brightly in the war zone—a light that drove away the darkness and hopelessness. A bright light that lived up to its name: The Salvation Army. The selfless work of our spiritual ancestors was a beacon for those being swept along by the tides of war.
In a letter to Commander Evangeline Booth, U.S. Army General John J. Pershing, the leader of the American Expeditionary Forces, wrote, “Send me more Salvationists.” In his letter, he explained that the two critical reasons for this request were that “the disposition of Salvationists was to push themselves as far as possible to the front,” the place of deepest darkness and pain, and the second was “the character of Salvation Army workers whose one thought was the well-being of the American soldiers they came to serve.”
In his request, General Pershing described Salvationists as people who selflessly gave of themselves to others. Today we know that these people were not superheroes; they were ordinary individuals who faced great peril and were separated from their homes and families like the soldiers serving in the trenches. Amid hopelessness, Salvationists selflessly carried the weight of ministering to others despite the threat of danger because they determined that serving in Christ’s name was their life’s most significant purpose.
A century later, we stand on the shoulders of those Salvationists who served others in the Great War with their hearts to God and their hands to men. The mantle that has been passed to us from them begs the question of each of us who wear the Salvationist uniform: “Would people in my circle of influence, in my neighborhood or my community, see my work and faithfulness to my ministry purpose and say, ‘That’s who we need. Send us more Salvationists?’”
The model of service handed down to us by our spiritual ancestors demonstrates that being mere spectators or commentators on suffering and darkness is not the action or purpose of a salvation soldier. Living in a world of growing darkness should motivate us to shine an ever-brighter light. The more difficult the circumstances we face in standing as a beacon for Christ and lifting others out of despair, the more determined we should be to act. Darkness cannot exist where there is light and will be split apart when we shine the light of hope in Christ with courage and surety of purpose.
As Christ said to his followers, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14- 16). As soldiers of The Salvation Army, it is our responsibility to fulfill our Christ-given purpose of being the bright light that cuts through the darkness engulfing the hearts and minds of those around us. Grab the banner of Christ and march forward to the fight!