Admittedly it’s a facetious pondering today…
but I think it’s something worth exploring in round about way.
Would Jesus…(if He walked this earth today) be a soldier of The Salvation Army?
Some of you would say, “No, He would be the General”…
But…
when it comes to our mission.
when it comes to our purpose.
when it comes to serving suffering humanity…
would Jesus be a soldier?
Would He hang out with the undesirable people?
Would He converse with that smelly person in your soup kitchen that no one else wants to sit by?
Would He go into the homes of the abused, the drunkard, the hoarder, the unclean, the lowest of the low?
YOU. BET. HE. WOULD.
Would He fight on even when He was tired, busy, discouraged, angry, facing all kinds of adversity?
ABSOLUTELY!
It IS really a silly pondering to consider today, but it is a necessary one.
Sometimes we must peel back all of the orders and regulations.
Sometimes we must step around the finance minutes and the policies and procedures.
Sometimes we put aside the “busy work” lingering on our desks and in our “bring up” files…And just consider what it would take for Jesus to wear this uniform and for Jesus to serve those in need regardless of the hour or the inconvenience.
Because…
If we are an Army of Holiness.
If we are theologically and philosophically aligned with the “Holiness Movement”
THEN
Jesus is in uniform
Jesus is a Soldier
Jesus is a part of this mission.
Because the Holy Spirit has taken up residence WITHIN us!
So in a very real sense…
We are the very hands of feet of Christ.
We are that representation of Christ to the world.
We are called to imitate Him in every way.
SO…
here is where the rubber meets the road:
Are we?
Are we representing Christ in the very best way?
We are NOT perfect by the world standards.
We do have issues…sometimes many.
We all come with our own baggage and burdens.
But He can free us from these.
Do we try to be the best soldier that we can be?
Not to please the General, or our Corps Officer, or the Divisional/Territorial Commander…but to please God.
To honor Him with everything we do…are we THAT kind of soldier?
Are we loving people regardless of how they smell, where they come from, how they dress, the various walks of life they reside in?
This is front line ministry.
This is vital ministry.
This can be hope to countless hopeless causes and cases.
This…
what we do…
matters!
Something more for our Army world to ponder today!
May His glory shine in all we do!
Soldier on!
Pastor's Ponderings 
Sure, Jesus would be a soldier… I’m not exactly sure how happy He’d be with headquarters.. or some of His fellow soldiers and officers who think the Army can do no wrong. We don have a tendency to be stuck on ourselves…
So, maybe in reality…. if Jesus were to come to Earth right now, and see the Army, He might not join.. but start His own…
As for us? Well, i think that while many of us try to be the best soldiers of The Salvation Army we can be, we are not as successful being ‘True Soldiers of Jesus Christ..”
We’re all at different points in our walk with God. Some of us are much further along than others.. i wish we could all understand that and help each other along the way rather than pointing fingers and judging each other…
I agree with Eric, I think Jesus would start not only His own Army but His own church. That is what He did the first time around. But your pondering is certainly on the mark in terms of who we all should be serving. All churches have a bureaucracy that needs to be put in its rightful place.