Reverend Charles Brook’s Flat
London
Easter Monday, 1941
I feel so tongue-tied,” Darwin said.
“Being the son of a career naval officer, I don’t know. This is so
hard to admit. Although Father and I have been estranged, I don’t
want to hurt him. If this gets out, it will damage Father’s
career.”
“It’s okay, Darwin. Just say it. Remember, your secret goes no farther than these walls,” Charles said.
Darwin breathed deeply again, trying to muster the courage to confess the thing that would destroy him, especially during this time of war. “I’m a . . .”
“Go ahead,” Charles said.
“I’m a . . . How do I say this?”
“Yes?”
“I’m . . . a pacifist! There! I admit it. I’m a pacifist!”
“You’re a pacifist?” Charles looked incredulous. “That’s what you wanted to admit?”
Darwin paused for a few seconds then smiled. “Yes, and I already feel somewhat liberated. If there were some way to make this philosophy of mine go away, I could feel good about serving in the military and make Father proud.”
“Is there anything else you wanted to confess to?”
“Like what?” Darwin asked.
“Oh, never mind.” Charles hesitated then continued. “But I have another question for you, Darwin.”
“What’s that?”
“Why did you feel you needed to make that particular confession to an Anglican priest?”
“Because I need guidance on whether a true Christian can serve in the military.”
Charles cleared his throat. “First, there’s ample evidence that there were Christians in the military during the time of Christ and that Christ acknowledged these military personnel as Christians.”
“Really?”
“Yes. An example comes to mind from the Gospel of St. Matthew. The Roman centurion came to Christ and asked for healing of his servant. Christ offered to come to the centurion’s home, but the centurion responded that he wasn’t worthy of having Christ in his home and that all Christ needed to do was to say the word and the servant would be healed. Do you remember that story, Darwin?”
“Yes I do, but I don’t understand why that makes it acceptable for a Christian to serve in the military.”
“Think for a moment about Christ’s response to the centurion. He said that He had found no one in Israel with such great faith. What do you think Christ meant by that?”
Darwin hesitated. “I suppose He meant that the fellow had faith that Christ would heal his servant.”
“True. But the meaning is deeper than that. The faith isn’t just in what Christ would do, but in who Christ is. The centurion had faith in Christ. That means he was a Christian. In other words, here is a soldier, one whose military duty may require killing, yet Christ recognizes him as a man of faith.”
Darwin paused for a moment to think. “I suppose I see your point.”
“And the story of Cornelius is found in the Book of Acts Cornelius and his family are described as devout and God-fearing. So Cornelius served as an officer in the very army that put Christ to death, yet he is described as a Christian too.”
“But doesn’t Christ suggest that we should turn the other cheek? And if a fellow asks for our shirt, we should give him our coats. How can we act this way if we aim to kill the poor fellow, even if he is a jerry?”
“That’s true, Darwin. But we do have to view all scripture in proper context. In neither of those cases is Christ referring to national conflicts in which a state of war exists. He is referring to interpersonal situations which occur outside a state of war. This means we should not exact personal revenge out of vengeance. If someone insults us or cheats us, we should not respond with an eye for an eye as some of the Jews were suggesting with their questions.”
“So Christ was responding to a question about an eye for an eye?”
“Precisely. More tea for you?”
“Yes, please,” Darwin said. “So Christ was not a pacifist?”
Charles sipped a spot of tea. “Heavens, no. Christ combated evil. He resisted the devil in the wilderness. He rebuked the Pharisees. He drove the moneychangers out of the temple. But when spat upon and beaten, He refused to retaliate.”
“But doesn’t that prove he was a pacifist, the fact that he let them beat on him and spit on him and crucify him without retaliating?”
“Absolutely not. In God’s plan to redeem mankind, Christ had to die. He had to be crucified as part of the plan. He died for our sins, then conquered death three days later. Revelation predicts that Christ will return as a warrior, in splendor and glory to battle his enemies. Hardly the actions of a pacifist, eh?”
“So I could go to war and preserve my status as a Christian?”
“Of course. Christ predicted there would always be war. War is a part of the fallen condition of our world.”
“I understand. Yet one thing remains beyond my comprehension.”
“And what would that be?” Charles asked.
“How can I fulfill my duty as a Christian to spread the gospel to the Germans if I have to kill them?”
“Because the Nazi government represents evil, you can, as a Christian, fulfill your duty to kill the military agents of that government. Yet you should pray for the salvation of those you are duty-bound to kill.”
“I have a duty to kill them, yet I must pray for them at the same time?”
“If England is at war with Germany and you are ordered into battle on behalf of the Crown, then yes, your duty is both to pray for your enemies and to accomplish your mission.”
Darwin swallowed more tea. “Sort of paradoxical, isn’t it?”
“Yes, paradoxical indeed. But that is the Christian’s duty in wartime,” Charles said.
“How thought provoking.” Darwin stood. “Perhaps I should go.”
“Darwin, before you leave, there’s something I have for you. Wait a moment please.” Charles left the room, and a moment later returned with a book in his hand. “A gift from me. It’s the King James Version Bible, translated into German. Perhaps it will remind you to pray for your enemies.”
“Thank you, Charles. I’ll remember that.”
Darwin shook Charles’s hand and walked out the front door, down the cobblestone steps to the street, and hailed a waiting cab. “Kensington, please.” He got into the back seat of the car, and as the cabbie rolled forward, he studied the German Bible.
As the taxi passed by St. Paul’s where Reece had died from German bombs, Darwin wiped a tear from his eye, then glanced again at the Bible.
I shall pray for my enemies, and then I shall kill them.