Moment of Reckoning
Shortly before 11:30 p.m. the converted Royal Air Force bomber began rolling down the runway at Keevil airfield. Members of the 12th
Yorkshire Parachute Battalion, laden with their equipment and weapons, were huddled in the bay, deep in their own thoughts. As the wheels of the aircraft ceased to roll, Capt. Philip Burkinshaw realized they were airborne. He vividly recalled his thoughts at that moment:
My mind was awhirl with mixed emotions and, I must confess, some fears, particularly the fear of being afraid. Would we be dropped on or near to the dropping zone, or perhaps due to change in the weather or wind speed, or a fault in navigation, well behind enemy lines; would I find the rendezvous; how would I shape up in front of my platoon in the stark reality and unaccustomed horrors of battle, and would I command and guide them as they deserved. The moment of reckoning was inexorably approaching for me, as it was for thousands of others in the air, on land and on sea.419
Anyone who has experienced combat can identify with Captain Burkinshaw’s fears. Most would agree that the fear of not measuring up in the eyes of others is acute, especially before going into action for the first time. No one knows how he or she will react in a crisis until that “moment of reckoning.” We should all realize, of course, that such a moment is ahead for every human being. We are all approaching the end of life and the great unknown at a speed we cannot measure. Our last moment may arrive in due course or unexpectedly. God has provided the one and only way to alleviate our instinctive fear of this event. Through his Son, we are assured that our “moment of reckoning” will be a joyous reunion, as we take our place with him in eternity.
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
—Romans 6:22–23