SPIRIT OF THE SWORD IS A USEFUL WEAPON

The other day I wrote down a few thoughts after reading in the Minneapolis Star Tribune of the death of a student at North High School who was driving his car when a couple of classmates decided they wanted his car. The students shot him three times.

This kind of attitude and the misuse of guns emphasizes our need to recover the attitude of respect and integrity which our parents taught us. The growing menace of inhumane conduct must be curbed lest we destroy the future. I realize my ideas are from a clergy viewpoint, but I think they must be stressed from time to time.

The media have been bombarding us with information about our best defense. In each generation highly technical arms are available for destruction such as sophisticated armament for warfare to rifles and assault weapons for hunting or self-protection. Now even more common materials such as fertilizer can be used for destructive purposes.

In all of this it is easy to forget or overlook the "sword of the spirit," referring to God's word, or the holy scripture as contained in the Bible.

One of the early efforts to share this weapon through its distribution in the United States was the organization of the American Bible Society in 1816, when a group of founding fathers met in City Hall in New York City to initiate a program of systematic distribution of the Book of Books and to translate that book into a language which all could understand and at a price all could afford.

Their first president was Elias Boudinot of New Jersey, who had been president of the Continental Congress. The second president was Col. Richard Varick of New York, and the third president was John Jay, who was chief justice of the United States and then ambassador to Spain. Those early pioneers had been greatly influenced by the French Huguenots. They were deeply steeped in the biblical tradition and based their values on the same.

One can also read the farewell address of Gen. George Washington to be aware of his ideals, held as basic to the formation of the new nation. Much later, another general named Dwight Eisenhower hinted that there were dangers in corporate misuse of armament production. Of course, there is always danger in the abuse or misuse of any weapon, including the sword of the spirit. Some will say that religious values can cause more discord than harmony when not used for their original purpose.

In an atmosphere of violence it is difficult to see how peace if preferable to war, love over hate and insight, understanding, sharing, caring and generosity over greed, to which it is easy to succumb in our time. Someone has said that "perfect love casts out fear except in the inner city, where harsher rules may prevail." The desire for material things may be overwhelming. I recall a trucker in South America who had a fleet of five trucks polished as if there were new and which he kept in running order. The first had written across the front "Dios Todopoderoso, Numero Uno" (God Almighty, Number One), and thus down the fleet. He had put his faith in those trucks, which provided him with his livelihood.

How easy it is to put all our trust in our material and technological advances.

In spite of all the extremes of violence which still prevail in many areas, the sound of the sword of the spirit is available, in portions at least, in 2,000 languages. Although its words and sound may be muffled, and although in many instances it may be kept only as a concealed weapon, silently gathering dust in some remote corner of a bookcase, it still has the power to change lives and is desperately needed in our day and time.

One hears some voices claiming that the end of time is near and that even will destroy us. And, still, with all the uneasiness and restlessness in our world today, we can still remain calm and confident, because we know that with the sword of the spirit our defense is sure.

Ivan H. Nothdurft of Cape Girardeau is a former associate pastor of Centenary United Methodist Church.