|
Playing at Army
by Commissioner Wesley
Harris
ONE of my earliest memories is of when I was a very small boy
marching up and down our back yard beating a tin drum if not
to the glory of God then perhaps to the annoyance of the
neighbours!
Perhaps ‘playing
army’ was not a bad alternative
to a game of cowboys and indians but it had little
substance or meaning.
It was just a game. Like many others I could have been
inoculated with small doses of Salvationism and never caught
the real thing but mercifully I came to understand the meaning
behind the marching and the significance of the singing and
music making. To this day I love many of the trappings of
Salvationism but it is the essence of it which has held my
heart.
Salvationism is
about the Saviour.
In all things He must have pre-eminence.
All we do is either for him and about him or it may be
little more than a game we play – interesting and enjoyable
but not ‘for real’. The central word in our name indicates
what should be central in our message.
As William Booth put it, we are a salvation people.
We are in the transformation business.
That is what we are about.
We may pay a lot of attention to what we do but it is
important to be sure about why we do it.
In the heart of
our Founder there was a magnificent obsession which was
communicated to our forebears in the faith and which was
marked ‘urgent’.
There was plenty of fun in their service – holy
hilarity was characteristic, but it was no mere game.
Eternal destinies were at stake.
That is still the case.
|
