I was reading an incredibly interesting column today in the New York Times regarding the strategic “mistake” made during World War II. As the Sixth Army readied to cross the Rhine River in Strasbourg, France, Eisenhower directed them away toward another direction theoretically leading to the Battle of the Bulge.
Now everyone sixty years later is an armchair General and want to say what should have or shouldn’t have happened. But, I really don’t know—I wasn’t there. What caught my eye was an interesting description of Lt. Gen. Jacob L. Devers, commander of the forces set to quickly cross the Rhine River in 1944 and win the war, but never did.
“Why did Eisenhower refuse to allow Devers to cross? Eisenhower disliked Devers — a prim teetotaler who rubbed many gruff Army commanders the wrong way — and refused to include him among the generals fighting in northern France.”
Many times are we Christians the “prim teetotalers” who rub others the wrong way. It is right to be prim and it is right to be a teetotaler—but what do we lose by rubbing people the wrong way?
Maybe the mistake was Devers instead of Eisenhower’s? Eisenhower may have listened to Devers if Devers had built an accepting relationship of those around him. Maybe if Devers had cultivated a relationship of trust—he would have been able to instill confidence in his observations. How many times do we place all of our reputation on our “don’ts” that people around us miss our “dos?”
Christians need to be engaging and humble. They don’t need to intentionally rub people the wrong way. Do we have different views? Yes, radically different. However, our approach does not need to be arrogant, attacking, or angry. We must strive to always be men and women of God who are interested in building bridges—not compromising our beliefs, but instilling confidence so that ultimately our arguments will have credibility. As we do this, those in power may then listen to us and our message of hope.
concerned_soldier says
That is awesome, well said chaplain,
Thanks,
V/R
C_S