The Gospel in 'Band of Brothers'
Dear reader,
I finished an HBO series called “The Band of Brothers” the other day, and I have to admit the story tore me to pieces.
Each episode was led by a different soldier in the 506 Paratroopers Faction.
Over the 10 episodes you got to know the different men very well, you could see their personalities, quirks, and blind spots, but more than anything I had to remind myself that these were real stories playing out before my eyes.
Not perfectly, of course, I don’t want to pretend each word was shared on the battlefield, but the undeniable fact that the men that served in this way were so real, and the conflict they faced was so real.
This was the first time I’d seen war depicted in such an ugly way. As a boy, I must admit violence was always something that caught my eye, (Not broken bones though.) Throughout this series though the violence was gut-wrenching.
When a person was shot or maimed in some way I felt it. Because each death and injury was documented by the men who were there. I wasn’t just sitting back to be mindlessly entertained, I was thrown onto the battlefield with these brave men.
I don’t aim to spoil the ending for you if you want to go and take in this story, but there were a few reflections of the gospel that I’d like to draw out.
1. The Leadership
Throughout the show, the paratroopers serve and follow different leaders. Some were horrible, others were someone you follow to the ends of the earth.
Watching the leaders got me thinking about Jesus. What kind of leader was He?
Would he encourage and challenge his men?
Would he disregard the consequences of his actions?
Would he lay down his life for his friends?
If Jesus was in this war he wouldn’t have thought of himself one bit. He’d lay every one of his needs down for the sake of the men he was leading,
2. Death
Men die throughout the war. Some deaths were longer and drawn out, others flashed for a split second on the screen. Yet each death reflects the death of a human life in that actual time.
I know I mentioned this already, but I think with all the death we see in stories nowadays we become desensitized to it. I know I have.
Same with the Gospel, people talk about the gospel so much that they willingly forget the power of the blood that Jesus spilled on our behalf. Jesus didn’t just die those many years ago, that death should and does echo throughout the rest of eternity.
Don’t shrug away Jesus’ death.
3. The Medic
There were three characters in the show that I wanted to make it through the series, all of them had good morals, and they made choices that I would like to say I’d be willing to make.
Realistically one of them was so much braver than I will probably ever be. One of the episodes followed a Medic as he went from foxhole to foxhole, taking care of everyone’s needs, you don’t see him sit still unless he falls asleep from exhaustion.
He rushes out to tend to any injuries that come up, he’s kind, genuine, and so extremely intentional.
There wasn’t a single man in that group that didn’t receive attention from the Medic whether it was a medical need or not. He listened and encouraged every person he interacted with to keep going even though the circumstances were very bleak.
The medic didn’t save everyone either. Multiple died from their wounds, but that didn’t mean the medic stopped doing what he believed was right.
Obviously Jesus would be the best medic on the field of battle, and that is an amazing picture to have of him. On the battlefield of life, he is constantly moving from foxhole to foxhole and speaking the truth to everyone by His Spirit.
He’s tending to wounds internal and external, and only He can save those who are hurt and lost.
It was such a pleasure to take in this story, and I’m grateful for the men who were willing to lay down their lives in this way.
Be encouraged by this truth.
Others have died so that you may live, but only one perfect man died for you to live eternally.
Let’s live today like that means something.
Sincerely,
Your Fellow Brother in Arms
-Mitchell
