The Invisible Shield...

Rub a dub dub,  

Three men in a tub.

An adulterer,

A fox hunter,

And an NHS destroyer.

Each of the three peered over the edge,

To see the moon in the calm water.

"Quick!" exclaimed the NHS destroyer. "Fetch the net!"

The adulterer throws his net into the water,

Hoping to bring up the moon,

Rather like an omelette in a frying pan.

But the moon shatters into many moving pieces,

While the net is raised empty!

Ah!" says the fox hunter,

"If you two had supported my blood sport,

by now you would have the moon resting in the tub!"

  

And so our news media are obsessed with three potential candidates for 10 Downing Street: Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt and the possibility of Nigel Farage, at present, the leader of the recently-formed Brexit Party, whose one of his manifesto items is to replace the National Health Service with American-style private health insurance. All three have much relevance here in the UK, but other than within the mainland continent of Europe and America, these politicians are most likely unheard of in countries outside the European Union or North America.

Therefore, when my very good friend Dr Andrew Milnthorpe posted yet another of his pro-Brexit status on Facebook, in return, I made up the above ditty as a reply comment, with only a slight modification to the original. Although it was meant to be jest, by looking more deeply into it, I began to realise that the capturing of the moon's reflection in the water was as realistic as the optimistic, utopian idea of a sovereign post-Brexit Britain without the need for God.

As things stand at the moment, it does look as if Boris Johnson is the front runner. But as with all political polls, they can be as unpredictable as the English weather. However, with Jeremy Hunt this week announcing his support for the lifting of the ban against fox hunting, his angering of the public and his loss of vital support from his followers, all this has indeed placed Johnson further ahead in the race to become Prime Minister.

A country without the need for God is relevant here. We live in a country of which Constitution was, and still meant to be, based on the Christian Gospel. But the fact that the nation is prepared to accept as its leader a man who married and divorced twice and is at present sleeping with a woman half his age, shows how far this nation has strayed from its Christian foundation. What with the discrediting of the Bible, the emptying of traditional churches, together with the rise of elective abortions, the permitting of gay marriage, all stemming from a universal belief of Darwin's evolutionary theories. Very much like the possibility of catching a reflection in a net from the surface of the water, I can't see any real optimism about Britain's future post-Brexit glory. 

And so arguments on whether we leave the EU with or without a deal by Autumn rages on. From such unsure promises, newspapers are making a mint, news bulletins are watched intensely, the BBC receives criticism for its Remain-leaning bias. All this while so thankfully appreciating the existence of the National Health Service.  

What with modern living with freedom from war and supplied with so many commodities for a comfortable, labour free existence, with both food and water on tap. After all, it's much easier to go on a short trip by car to the local supermarket to buy a tin of beef stew, than it is to go out hunting in the vain hope of finding a wild rabbit to blast with shotgun pellets before skinning and then spending hours cooking it!

Yet despite such comfortable living, there is an epidemic of mental illness, a rise in suicides among men in particular, and a rise in knife crime. I try to imagine a parent, a brother or sister, of someone who had just been stabbed while walking along the street, a case of mistaken identity or an unsolved dispute, or even to ease boredom. Or for a husband to watch his beloved wife's life slowly ebb away while cancer takes over. The agony! The sorrow! The emotional torment hearing his wife say how much she loves him, how much she adores him, and he was her only world, as she takes her final breath and closes her eyes forever. For him, nobody had loved him as she did. Nobody has ever valued him so highly as she did, no not even his parents or other family members.

He stands over her as she lies lifeless on her deathbed. He buries his face into her chest and cries and cries aloud, his free-flowing tears shed without hindrance. Through his mind, his memories are alive and active. How they first met are as fresh as if happened just yesterday. Their wedding, their honeymoon as they strolled together on a foreign beach late in the night, their candlelight dinners. The joys of marriage along with its share of hardships and trials. Yet watching their love for each other grow and never ceasing.

This is no make-up story. More than likely this has repeated over and over again throughout history. Moreover, I know two men personally who have both lost their wives through illness. One of them tells of how he watched his beloved slowly waste away before finally passing on to be greeted in the arms of the Lord Jesus.

And that was what my friend Paul said to me after a Sunday service at Ascot Life Church:

A hundred years ago, that would have been it. Death from cancer would have been inevitable.

He was referring to my wife's recently diagnosed breast cancer.

And thanks to the National Health Service, her life was saved, literally. By having her cancerous breast removed, a procedure known as a mastectomy. After our recent visit, which was for an assessment, she was advised to have chemotherapy. I felt aghast! I visualised her beautiful long hair falling away and her need for a wig. Furthermore, chemo would result in the weakening of her immune system, leaving her more prone to infection, perhaps with more intense backache, headaches and fits, and other symptoms connected with her neurotic disorder. This along with constant feelings of tiredness, the draining of her energy.

The benefits of chemo are to ensure that all her cancer cells are eliminated from her body. Unfortunately, this does not guarantee immunity from a recurrence of her cancer. All it does is reduce the chance of a recurrence. We were left with a choice, but the Consultant assured us that the benefits will outweigh the risks.

All this time, I had to allay her fears, the chief fear was her mistaken belief that my love for her would eventually fade. I assured her that through the grace of God, this would never happen, as my love, through His power, will be forever. However, this does not prevent the fears, the anxieties afflicting my own soul, visions of her dying, even the terrors of Hell. Feeling of we're all alone, with no one caring for us, leaving us to face our own problems with no support. These are, of course, all lies. Lies from the Adversary.

Fortunately, the Bible provides an antidote against all these fears and anxieties. It's found in Ephesians 6:11-20, a part which reads:

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so then, when the day of evil comes, you are able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness which comes from the gospel of peace. 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Verses 13-17 NIV.

I can imagine the apostle Paul in prison, writing this letter to the church in Ephesus. Standing nearby on guard was a Roman soldier. He saw that the armoury which the soldier was wearing stood as a good symbol for the spiritual battle which afflicts every true Christian believer.

One of the items the soldier was holding was the shield. This particular item of armour took the brunt of the enemy's firey arrows. The other held was the sword, the only offensive weapon. As this represents the Word of God, a thorough knowledge of the Bible is essential, hence I tend to encourage a Christian, especially a young one, to read his Bible daily.

Having said that, going by my own experience, I have not held the shield too well. By harbouring feelings of doubt and fear over the future, especially my wife's future, I guess I have allowed the "fiery darts of the evil one " to penetrate into my soul. Doubt is the opposite of faith. But why do I doubt so easily?

Perhaps it's to do with my introverted temperament, a trait inherited from my late father, who was also introverted, unlike my mother and brother who are both outgoing extroverts. There is nothing wrong with being introverted! Such can, and does, bring many benefits to society, especially in the arts, in aesthetics, in writing, photography, paintings, design, etc. There were many who were devoted to God who was introverted. Name an Old Testament prophet and you have identified another introvert. Moses was one, as was Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. New Testament introverts included the Apostle John, and Thomas as well, along with the likelihood of Barnabas and Mark. However, the introvert's main weakness is that he sees the glass as half empty, and takes a negative view of the world.

But not to leave out the more extroverted, who sees the glass as half-full and accept everything in the world in a more positive light. Simon Peter was an extrovert, as was the Apostle Paul. It was mainly through Paul that the Gospel has spread throughout the Gentile Roman Empire, while Peter ministered to the Jews, including the Diaspora, who lived at that time right across the Middle East, including Egypt.

I need to take up the shield of faith. I need it badly! And wield the sword, the Word of God, to counter lies entering my mind. As for the belt of truth, the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth to atone for us, his burial, and his Resurrection from the dead are all historical facts. Attached to the belt of truth is the breastplate of righteousness, the imputed righteousness of Christ to all believers of the Truth. I need to be assured in the mind of my own salvation, hence the helmet. And finally, I can walk, meeting other people to spread the Gospel of peace to all who hears it and believe, hence the footwear.

A Roman soldier ready for battle

The shield is an invisible one. In fact, the whole armour is invisible, being spiritual and fighting a spiritual battle rather than a physical one. But despite my own shortcomings, one thing I'm aware of, that is, this spiritual armour is real. It's the reality of the Christian life, a necessity to counter the lies, the doubts and the fears the Adversary will throw at us.

When I visited Disneyland in the past, I did encounter Mickey Mouse and Pluto the dog. But I was aware that this wasn't a real mouse, nor the dog a real dog. They were men, actual human beings, each dressed in a costume. But here I was allowed to indulge in make-believe.

Rather like believing in Britain will prosper to its sovereign glory without the need for God after Brexit. If only my fellow Christian brothers realise that keeping God well away from human affairs is the key to a nation's downfall.

Or else, our politicians can master the art of retrieving the reflection of the moon from the lake after all.