Live Rounds or Blanks?

Proverbs 12:18 “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

In 1943, during the Second World War, the Allies were bombing Kassel. Heavy and relatively cumbersome B-17 bombers would be accompanied by smaller more agile fighter planes to protect them from enemy fire so that they could unleash their heavy artillery. After what had been a devastating and ultimately successful bombing campaign, a number of fighter planes were flying on their way home, separated from the bomber. Suddenly anti aircraft fire came out of nowhere and hit the bomber. Flak shells flew all around them, and then eleven pierced the plane, including the fuel tank. The pilot waited for an explosion and his imminent death, but neither came. He duly made it back to safety across the Channel. A few hours later, a mechanic knocked on the pilot’s door and presented the crumpled but unexploded shells that hit him – and to his amazement he discovered that all of them were empty of gunpowder, and in one was a folded note: ‘We are Czech forced labourers. We are forced to make bullets in factory. When guards do not look we do not fill with powder. This is all we can do for you now!’ Out of millions of shells, those few made the difference and saved the lives of the pilot and his crew.

We’re constantly firing off rounds at people, in terms of what we say, how we act, our general attitudes. And they can either be live rounds or blanks in terms of bringing life or death. So will we use our words today to tear down or build up? Will we do acts of service or disservice? Will our attitudes and interactions with others draw them towards or away from Jesus?

Lord, I choose to think, act and speak words of life today. Amen!