The Chaplain’s Move

"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)

For more than thirty years, a Southern Baptist pastor named Fred Holloman walked into the Kansas State Senate chamber and prayed.

He didn’t offer a safe, comfortable prayer. He prayed honestly and wholeheartedly. On one occasion he prayed: 

"Omniscient Father, help us to know who's telling the truth. One side tells us one thing and the other just the opposite. If neither side is telling the truth, we'd like to know that, too. And if each side is telling half the truth, give us the wisdom to put the right halves together."

The room was full of competing agendas, divided opinions, and political pressure from every direction. Holloman didn't stay home because it was complicated. He showed up, every session, with wisdom, humor, and with God.

That's what engaging God's battle looks like most days. It doesn’t often seem like a dramatic rescue mission. Sometimes it's the person willing to walk into the messy room, the tense staff meeting, or the family dinner with the relative nobody wants to talk with. Maybe it’s the friendship that got awkward when you started following Jesus.

The word Hebrew literally means "one who crosses over." Abraham knew this world was not his home. He was a pilgrim in foreign territory. And so are you.

This week, name the room or situation you've been avoiding. Then walk in, because that's what it means to cross over. Abraham didn't wait for perfect conditions. Holloman didn't wait for a quieter Senate chamber. They just showed up. And so can you.

Prayer: Lord, it's easier to stay comfortable and surrounded by people who already think like me. Give me the courage to walk into the divided and complicated rooms and show up as one who belongs to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.