Medal of Honor

I recoil inside when a homeless guy starts spouting off about all he can do, if he’s quick to detail his exploits, or if he too readily knows all there is to know about something. I don’t know exactly why but inside I wonder whether his next step is relapse or a fall or something worse. To me it seems that a resident’s bragging and posturing provide cover for unacknowledged uncertainty and doubt. And certainly, I would never brag about all I know and can do!!! Right?

Bragging and posturing present quite a contrast with a book I read recently detailing the lives of the 100 or so Medal of Honor recipients who are still living. The Medal of Honor is the “highest award for valor in action against an enemy force, which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.” The fascinating thing about the medal recipient’s stories is that few of the men seemed extraordinary prior to their heroic act. As a matter of fact, they were remarkable for their ordinariness. Coming from places like Terre Haute, Indiana, Shelley, Idaho, Wakefield, Rhode Island, and Tichnor, Arkansas they seemed quite everyday and not necessarily destined for recognition or greatness. To a man there was a modesty of behavior and a willingness to remember others who performed similarly in the direst circumstances possible.

Interesting isn’t it? How such a high honor could be received and worn with such humility. Each of these men were willing to commit their very lives to something bigger than themselves – honor, country, another’s welfare – even to the point of death. And each responded without allowing their fear to dictate their actions. May we, who are called to an even bigger task – that of putting our lives on the line for Christ – be found so modestly faithful.

- Steve Brubaker, Residential Ministries