Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
_
It’s important to honour our differences in evangelical, biblical-based denominations. I don’t go to a Salvation Army church but I really respect them. My wife and I are good friends with a couple who lead a local fellowship. They have been really present for us when we faced some health challenges and I’ve had great times talking about theology with Guy (not his real name). He explained to me (after I fired question after question), when we met for coffee a few years ago, that the reason the Sally Army don’t take communion is NOT that they don’t believe it’s important; but rather they feel the death and resurrection of Jesus should be remembered in the way we live our lives. Personally, I like to visually remember Jesus by taking Communion with bread and wine but I understand this alternative point of view, which still honours the Lord.
There is another reason why I really respect the Sally Army. My paternal grandfather was a fireman in Southampton when the Luftwaffe aircraft attacked the city during the Second World War. As a child, I tried to press my grandad into giving me more details about it. Did you have to deal with burning buildings? Did people die? Did you have to deal with that? “Oh, yes,” my grandad would reply, and I would catch a momentary glimpse of horror as he recalled. He would say no more about the subject, except this: “The Sally Army was always there with us.”
Then he would tell me about members of the Salvation Army who would stand near my grandfather and other firemen, as they bravely battled death and destruction in the face of a fiery inferno caused by the bombs dropped by the Nazi regime. With a wetness in his eyes, he remembered how the members of this church insisted on being with them, giving out cups of tea, soup and bread, to help energise them in their horrendous task.
My grandfather never forgot the loving service shown to him and his colleagues, by members of that church. And the brave way these Sally Army personnel put their own lives at risk by helping others standing in the storm.
Grandad died 20 years ago but I have never forgotten that story either. Legacy matters. And the legacy of the Sally Army, in my experience, has been that of genuine love, care and service: Christlike in all respects.
Leave a comment