Never Leave a Fallen Comrade

Each branch of the military has its own creed.  Although I am partial to the one for the Air Force, having a son in it, there is a line in the Army’s creed that we could all adopt…

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

Sometimes in the church, a comrade falls.  How should we respond?  Do we shake our heads in disgust and walk away?  Do we kick a little dust over them, letting them know how ashamed we are?

With my oldest son always having an interest in the military, I have watched many war movies with him.  While each one has its own storyline, there is a common theme in them all.

You never leave a fellow soldier behind. 

We are in the army of God.  We are soldiers fighting a spiritual battle.  So when one falls down, is it really the right thing to do, to walk away?

In some of these movies, it is a wounded soldier that goes back to help the one who can’t get up.  When we are hurt, it is easy to focus on and attend to our own wounds.  It is easy to neglect to see the pain in the one who is on the ground.

It takes selflessness to ignore your own wounds and go back to get the one who is down.  But I believe that is what God would expect of us…never leave a fallen comrade.

Photo Above:  US Army Africa in Flickr