To Battle We Go: No Discharge in This War
I retired from the military in 2004 (20 years ago!) after almost 25 years of service as a musician in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. My retirement day was and is still something of a blur, but I do remember a ceremony, some tasty reception food, and my colleagues congratulating me and wishing me “fair winds and following seas.” I confess I didn’t pay close attention to the reading of my retirement orders. I just knew that I was all done with my military service and would be moving on to something else, whatever that might be. I should have listened more carefully!
Imagine my surprise when more than five years later I received in the mail my official retirement certificate from the Marine Corps along with a letter informing me that my 30-year service obligation was now complete. In fact, I had not been fully retired but had only been transferred from active duty to something called the “Fleet Marine Corps Reserve,” and I could have been called back to active duty at any time by the President of the United States in a time of national emergency, although I can’t imagine what kind of national emergency would have necessitated the calling up of old, washed-up euphonium players.
Up until fairly recently (through World War II) almost no one was discharged or retired from our military services in time of war. Even when soldiers enlisted for a set period of time they were often involuntarily extended for the duration of the fighting. This may seem unfair at first glance, but what is the point of returning home if your country might lose the war?
General Frederick Coutts was exploring this idea when he entitled his history of The Salvation Army “No Discharge in This War,” borrowing the phrase from Ecclesiastes 8:8. We Salvationists are fighting the war against Satan and his forces, and we are engaged for the duration of the fighting which will go on until Jesus returns. At first glance, this might seem unfair and certainly sounds exhausting. Is there no rest for the weary?
But remember, Jesus is our Captain, and the battle is already won! Besides, how can we leave the front while the fighting is still ongoing? As one of our war songs says, “Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease while others fight to win the prize and sail through stormy seas?” And another song says, “We’re soldiers in the Army, we’ll fight until we die, for the day of victory’s coming by and by.”
So, if you are feeling weary in the fight, take heart. We can’t lose, but we also can never really retire. By the way, I’m about to retire again, this time from full-time Salvation Army music ministry, but I look forward to the fight wherever it may be next!