Exactly 111 years tomorrow (May 3, 1915), a Canadian physician, also a Lieutenant Colonel, penned a poem that gives voice to the countless who, though now passed into the mystery, still speak.
Inspired by the death of a fellow soldier fighting in WWI, Lt. Col. John McCrae poured out his heart in just 15 lines. He had seen and experienced the industrialization of killing; now, machines of carnage could be deployed as quickly as they could be built, the introduction of chemical weapons and the inescapable torment of poison gas, and the extreme, grinding, and degrading conditions of trench warfare had taken their toll.
“Sitting on the rearstep of an ambulance…McCrae vented his anguish…As McCrae…heard larks singing…he could see the wild poppies that sprang up from the ditches and the graves in front of him.”*
Here was a man trapped within a tide of terror: Beauty replaced by horror. Bodies collapsing in exhaustion. Death on every side. Here was the carnage of intelligence gone awry and the awful aftermath of the clash of ideas. By the end of just 34 days, the battle raging for the Belgian city of Ypres (ee-pruh) resulted in 100,000 casualties. The war would continue for 3.5 more years. No end in sight.
Yet, in defiance of the horror and fog of war, flowers grew. They grew amid the blood-stained earth.
How could this be? They grew because they were designed to grow. That’s what they do. Despite the conditions. Despite the circumstances. Despite the agony. They grew. And not only that, they bloomed. They flourished. Amid the bleakness of death and decay, they radiated their intrinsic glory, not for John McCrae. Not for any man.
Theirs was a testimony to their Creator. A song. A melody of meaning. A doxology of design. A testimony against the reign of terror and the consequences of sin. A lesson of life amid death. A declaration of defiance.
Indeed, these flowers were not growing for man. No. Creation reflects its Creator. They were stretching their stems and extending their petals in the glory of their Creator and Designer, the Triune God. Creation is doxological.
And so, the poem:
In Flanders Fields By John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
There are three general lessons I want to draw from this poem:
- Facing death forces a deep consideration of both your present life and the continuation of what truly matters.
- The poem identifies the conflict but misses the source of evil behind it. Scripture reveals the true enemy: a sin-marred world, governed by the evil one, manifested in death (warfare, disease, relationships, testimonies, and more); therefore, our battle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”)
- Amid devastation, disappointment, and even material success, flourishing occurs as we are aligned with our Designer.
Now, how do these lessons apply to you, the seventh GAP graduating class?
Three Applications:
- Secure Identity in God’s Good Design: You are not stepping into a world where you have to figure out who you are. You are a Christian, and the Christian alone knows what is true, knows who and Whose they are. You are made in God’s image, which means you have not only purpose but meaning intrinsic to your nature. As a Christian, you have direct access to Divine resources to flourish in any and all conditions and seasons. You are not the author or manufacturer of your identity. Despite what Invictus says, “Master of your fate, captain of your ship…” What does this mean? This means:
- Trials refine, they do not define. They expose. They show you reality, not romance. They diss-illusion you.
- Therefore, you must fight for perspective because you do not default into it, and you must know where your true flourishing lies.
- God’s grace is sufficient to clear sight and open ears.
- “My grace is sufficient for you…power is perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
- When you are weak, you are strong and able to flourish.
- Trials refine, they do not define. They expose. They show you reality, not romance. They diss-illusion you.
- Ordered Affections Aligned to God’s Word: Set your heart on studying, practicing, and teaching God’s Word.
- This will require you to continue with what you have learned and what you have seen in others.
- You do not default to discipline; you decide to be disciplined. Don’t let that become a bad word. God disciplines those whom He loves. Remember the tree illustration: Discipline is not where life is found, but it supports and transports life from the public to your private life.
- Set aside distractions. Plan ahead. Decide before you have to decide.
- Go and grow in the strength you have.
- “The Lord looked at him and said, ‘Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?’ He said to Him, ‘O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.’” Judges 6:14-16
- God multiplies your strength in direct correspondence to His will accomplished through willing vessels. Build your life on what will not pass away. Regularly order your affections.
- Divine Power Extending the Glories and Treasures of the Gospel: Always remember the Source of your power. You were born from above, and therefore, you are sustained from above. Rehearse the gospel daily: your power is external, your identity is eternally secure, and you are as loved as you could ever be. The gospel alone gives us realignment, reorientation, and recalibration that lead to flourishing.
- Because you are in Christ, your relationship with God is as secure as God keeps His promises.
- Your relationship with God was initiated by His condescension, incarnation, perfect life, death, resurrection, ascension, mediation, and coming return.
- Therefore, you do not need any temporal relationship, material success, position at work, or opinion of others. You have all you need; therefore, you are free to be your “best” in all spheres. You are freed from shame (new nature), guilt (Christ took sin’s penalty), and fear (God is good).
Therefore, you are free to be faithful, to be obedient, and free to flourish.
No matter the season, situation, or sin.
Recognize. Respect. Redeem.
Well done, GAP Year 7…the year of completion.