Living Between

This coming Thursday, June 6, will be the 80th anniversary of D-Day (1). As the number of those who were alive and able to recall D-Day grows fewer, it is well that we do all we can to rekindle the memory of this crucial day. It was on D-Day that the tide of the unspeakably terrible World War II shifted. I don’t wish to contemplate the fate of the world, had the Allies failed to advance into Europe on this day. At a great cost of young soldiers, they did advance and ultimately defeated the forces of Nazi evil.

D-Day did not end the war. Battles continued to rage, including the Battle of the Bulge, where over 19,000 Americans were killed (far exceeding the death toll on D-Day). And yet, D-Day assured VE-Day (Victory in Europe Day).

The French Lutheran theologian, Oscar Cullmann, in his book, Christ and Time (2), used D-Day and VE-Day as an analogy of our present place in redemptive history. The Great D-Day in redemptive history was the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our Messiah inflicted a determining defeat on the enemies of God and His people. Who were those enemies? Paul wrote, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).” They lost that day and we, with and in the Messiah Jesus, won! Our ultimate victory has been assured.

But we have not yet arrived at our VE-Day, and we hardly need to be reminded of that. Another European war grinds on, and war is again raging in the Middle East. In our own land, partisan hatred, yes hatred, seems to increase as we choose which deeply flawed candidate and political party will govern us. If I could add to Paul’s words in Galatians 3:28, I would add, “In Christ there is neither Republican nor Democrat (3).” When hyper-partisan loyalties intrude into the body of Christ, we lose both our essential unity in Christ alone, and the identity of the true enemies we face. This failure makes “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,” gleeful. They will be completely defeated, but in hatred, they rage on. Let’s not give them temporary victories in their raging through our disunity, as we rage against our own sisters and brothers.

In the end, and in the Messiah Jesus, we will be victorious. Since we are one in Him, with all our differences, let’s win together!

Tim Kelley

(1)Surprisingly, there is confusion about the meaning of the “D” in D-Day.  See https://time.com/5599811/d-day-meaning/

(2)https://www.amazon.com/Christ-Time-Primitive-Christian-Conception/dp/B0007DSWJG

(3)Of course, we can be Christians who are Republicans or Democrats, or as am I, Independents. But when our party loyalties lessen our love or acceptance of a sister or brother in Christ, of a different party, we should reexamine our loyalties.