Some of our hymnal editors have excised the hymn Onward Christian Soldiers from their collations fearing that the military metaphor is inappropriate for contemporary symbolism. This they may well do, of course, but the battle is not avoided merely by deciding not to sing or speak about it! The Word still says that we contend "... against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places" (Eph. 6: 12).
Whether such a hymn continues to exist among us or not each of us still finds he or she must "Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 2: 3), and it is not enough just to keep the faith and to finish the course. There is also a good fight to be fought if we are ever to gain that crown of righteousness promised for us by our Lord (2 Tim. 4: 7-8). If we are to judge the attitudes held by some among us to be those revealed by their behavior we may not only need to excise such a hymn from our Christian vocabulary, but perhaps also to replace it with a revised version such as --
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Backward Christian Soldiers, leave aside the war;
Back to the Cathedral, bolt and bar the door.
Christ my royal Master honored there can be,
Hymns, and prayers, and sermons, they're enough for me!
Backward Christian soldiers, find a nice warm seat.
Leave aside the battle. Safety means retreat!
New Testament ministry was courageously confrontational. In our century it too often appears only to be apologetically acquiescent. Paul's assaultive gospel proclamation caused a riot at Ephesus and disturbed the authorities in many other situations. He moved his preaching into the market place, debated with the philosophers and fearlessly declared the truth amid opposition in pagan cities. Wrestled against principalities and powers. Stood firm against political pressures, and affirmed the highest moral and ethical value.
Sam Jones, the tough Victorian Age Southern Methodist preacher, whose most famous convert, Captain Tom Ryman, built the Ryman Auditorium (the "Carnegie Hall of the South") in Nashville for the evangelist's revivals knew how to swing the sword. He did not reach rough men of the world like Ryman by pussy-footing around. Speaking about complaints about his attacks on the hypocrisy of some Tennessee leaders and criticisms of the illegal manner in which many distributors of alcohol were callously ruining local families he said,
A great many people object to pointed preaching because it pains them, they say. This suggests the story of the old lady whose daughter's tooth ached. She sent for a dentist. He came, and pulled out a pair of big old-fashioned forceps. The old lady screamed out. "Don't put them things in my daughter's mouth; pull it out with your fingers!" That would be mighty nice, if it could be done. God bless you all! If you will let me get the old gospel forceps hold of these teeth, I will bring them out; but I cannot pull them with my fingers (Leftwitch, 1885: 132-133).
