Jesus

I did not post yesterday, as I had planned because I had to go in to work to cover a 12 hr. shift for someone who called in sick. It destroyed my short, weekly escape from wage slavery, but it did provide me with a topic for today's post.

A truck driver was signing into the log at the entry gate. "Let's see, 7:50 . . . that's 1950hrs, right?" I assured him that 7:50PM would, indeed be 1950hrs, but that in actuality it was now 7:56 or 1956hrs. He said, "Jesus."

Now, he wasn't upset or angry, or anything like that. It was said in the same tone that one might say, "Ooops." Just a casual remark using the King's name as a curse word.

I was not in a mood to hear the Name sullied. I said, "That's my Lord."

"Mine, too," he replied.

"Then . . . . Never mind." Some things you shouldn't have to explain.

In Muslim countries you could lose your tongue, or your life for disrespecting Mohamed. In America, a self-professing Christian feels no shame or sense of wrongdoing when he drags the name of his Savior down to the gutter. In the Middle East, it would be a major offense mistreat a copy of the Q'uran. In America, I've seen a supposedly Christian teen drop her Bible, then kick it out of the way so she could move her desk.

A far cry from the honor given to the name of Jesus in The Crusaders' Hymn. There is some question as to whether 13th Century knights actually sang it, but if they didn't they should have.
Some scholars say the hymn originated among participants in the pre-Reform movement of John Hus.

Christian Martialists could do worse than to reverence the Person and the Name as described herein:

1. Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
 O Thou of God and man the Son,
 Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
 Thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown.

2. Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
 Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
 Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
 Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

3. Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,
 And all the twinkling starry host;
 Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
 Than all the angels heaven can boast.

4. Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
 Son of God and Son of Man!
 Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
 Now and forever more be Thine.