With the onslaught of the enemy and bewildered by the utter chaos, Desmond Doss prayed, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” In a moment he heard the cries of fallen comrades. He knew what to do. He went into action rescuing the perishing, going into the battlefield, putting his own life in danger, to help the fallen soldiers. Until exhaustion, he went about finding those who needed medical attention. Then he started praying, and kept praying, “Lord, just one more. Help me get one more.” This continued until he himself was wounded and was carried out. He was credited with saving 75 wounded men out of the battle of Hacksaw Ridge. “He refused to carry a gun. His only weapons were his Bible and his faith in God. President Harry S. Truman warmly shook the hand of Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss, and then held it the entire time his citation was read aloud to those gathered outside the White House on October 12, 1945. “I’m proud of you,” Truman said. “You really deserve this. I consider this a greater honor than being president.”’ (quote from online source as Desmond Doss received the Metal of Honor). Even while the wounded Desmond was being carried off the battlefield, he saw one who had greater need than himself and jumped off his stretcher and directed his bearers to tend to the one in greater need. Inspired by the movie “Hacksaw Ridge”, I went online to learn more about Mr. Doss’ bravery and courage on that day at Hacksaw Ridge. In learning what Mr. Doss did, we have a vivid picture of what a dedicated warrior for Jesus can do in the kingdom of God.
Armed with the Word of God, and with a praying faith in God, and with the commitment to help others no matter what (and not harm them), many perishing people can be rescued. That’s what Jesus came to do. That is what he called his followers to do. We are to stand firm in battle to take the land set before us, and we are to help the fallen. We don’t shoot the fallen. We help them. It takes proud self-righteousness to shoot the fallen. It takes selfishness to ignore the fallen. It is in the face of this nature of man that Jesus taught that to be his disciple we must take up our cross (death to self) daily. In this place with the Lord, we can really get the job done that needs to be done. And, the rewards and honor are great. It is much more than a metal of honor. It is the commendation and eternal rewards offered to us by the Lord himself: “Come…blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered and ye gave me meat…thirsty…ye gave me drink…a stranger…naked…sick…in prison” and when you ministered to the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. (Matthew 25:34-40).
