Charging the Field for Christ
by: John Collin
I’d like to consider myself a true American. I power walk to every class, I never leave my dorm without my trusty pocket-knife, and my favorite president is Theodore Roosevelt. I’ve teared up on occasion to the National Anthem. And I’m also told that my voice is as deep as Andrew Jackson’s blue eyes. Thus, my taste in cinema has to reflect this devotion to freedom. So it shouldn’t be to anyone’s surprise that my favorite movie is Braveheart. The flowing hair, the historically inaccurate Scottish kilts, and the face paint adorned Scotsman, make for any American’s power freedom fantasy to come to life on the big screen. However, through the massive battles and the intriguing plot, I never thought I would find any religious aspect as an outtake for a movie. Little did I know, William Wallace had something different in mind.
For years I watched and thoroughly enjoyed watching the classic underdog story take place in Braveheart. The passion, action, and overall good story combined for a movie that I could easily rally around as a personal favorite. It was a movie that displayed great manhood and bravery in giving your life for a cause worth fighting and dying for. Recently though, I found a religious outtake that I reflect on often. Towards the end of the movie when William Wallace had passed, the Scottish army stood against the English army. The English expected the Scottish to surrender because they were outnumbered and low on supplies; however, the Scots had different plans. One of Wallace’s old comrades threw William’s sword across the battlefield. Once the sword struck into the ground, the Scots charged the field toward the English while chanting “Wallace.” They would secure their long awaited freedom following the battle (Before reading on, watch the video here: Braveheart Ending).
At first glance, it’s a moving scene. The underdog Scottish soldiers unite under the banner of Wallace’s legacy and charge across the battlefield. Although when you reflect on the movie, one can look at the intentions of Scots. The Scottish troops ran towards the army of England not caring whether they lived or died. No matter what their fate was, they were content with it. If they survived, they would live on as free men. If they died, they gave their life for a cause worth dying for. They died as free men standing against the forces of tyranny. In response to this, a question was posed to me in my heart, “If the Scottish soldiers were so willing to charge towards the enemy not caring what their fate was, why wouldn’t I do that with my faith?”
Now charging for Christ in 21st century America probably won’t involve the threat of death, however the action of giving your life to the will of God is exactly what He wants for us. God wants us to give up our lives. In Matthew 16:25, Jesus says, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Maybe God’s intentions for our life matches our current intentions, or maybe He is asking us to lay our life down at His feet for His disposal, even if we don’t initially agree with His direction. In the words of inspirational speaker Eric Thomas, “Be able at any moment to sacrifice what you are, for what you will become!” Remember, God will never lead you down a path that doesn’t bring you to your greatest sense of happiness. He knows you better then you know yourself!
The way we carry ourselves through the changes that God gives us is as equally important as our submission to God’s plans. Often times, we go through the motions of our Catholic faith and don’t fully embrace it with joy and purpose. If we follow God’s plan for us silently and lifelessly, we only display the faith as being mediocre and dull. However, if we embrace it with the zeal of a soldier or a servant who happily obeys their commander or master, we attract our Brothers and Sisters to the radiance of Christ. Don’t just walk through life as you live out God’s plan, rather sprint through it while dedicating all your energy to God’s song for your life. Be loud and thunderous to the world as you move toward the ultimate goal of Heaven.
Now doing this singularly is great, but to do this as a community and as a Church is awe-inspiring. In the movie, the Scottish troops charged united under Wallace’s legacy. For Christians, there is even more of a reason for us to emulate that unity in Jesus Christ’s mission and to be outward about it. Jesus’ passion has set us free from sin and we have received a God-given duty to let the whole world hear. The shouts of one disciple devoted to Christ can be booming, but the roars of the entire Church seeking to continuously add souls to God’s army on Earth can be deafening and piercing to the gates of hell.
So charge the battlefield of life knowing that God’s plan for you will bring you the greatest amount of happiness. Unite under the banner of Jesus’ legacy and God’s love. Be loud about your faith. Make the enemy tremble at the slightest thought of a whole host of young adults living with intense fervor and keenness for Christ. And remember, “Every man dies, but not every man really lives.” God bless you, and keep charging my fellow comrades in Christ!
John Collin, pictured left, is a Freshman at Bradley University in the 2016-2017 schoolyear