If you haven’t seen the new movie "Hacksaw Ridge," it’s a true story about a man in World War II named Desmond Doss (portrayed by Andrew Garfield, the Amazing Spiderman) who, because of religious beliefs, refused to bear arms or kill anyone during his time in the army. He became a medic. Doss went into combat to care for wounded soldiers without any sort of weapon for protection. During the invasion of Okinawa, he saved 75 lives. 75. After the rest of his men had retreated, Desmond stayed alone on Hacksaw Ridge through the night for 12 hours caring for the injured that the rest of his unit had left behind while dodging Japanese soldiers who were still on the Ridge. He crawled around searching for wounded men and, when he found them, drug them to the edge of the ridge and lowered them down on ropes one by one to safety. Desmond was the first “conscientious objector” to win a Medal of Honor. And he deserved it.
It’s an absolutely incredible, inspiring story.
One part in particular inspired me. It is in the middle of this touching, gripping, edge-of-your-seat section of the movie where he is literally running, crawling, and hiding all over the battle field trying to locate more American soldiers to save. And he’s been going for hours. You know he’s exhausted. You know he is starving, thirsty. You know he has to be terrified. A lesser man would have called it. After saving one or two they would have said “I’m done, I gotta get out of here or they’ll kill me. All my men are probably dead already anyway.” I would have. I know I would have. I was thinking that during this entire part of the movie. I was sitting there thinking, “Come on Doss, you already got so many, just go back down before you get yourself killed!”
But every so often, the camera would zoom and focus on Andrew Garfield’s face, his dirty, sleep deprived, exhausted face, and he would say, almost whisper, praying, “One more. Just help me get one more.”
It was chilling.
Desmond Doss did not stop getting one more until the Japanese were literally right behind him, shooting at him, forcing him off the ridge. But of course, he lowered the injured man he was dragging down before descending himself.
It’s quite a story.
I tell you all that not just to praise an old war veteran, to spoil the movie for you, or to applaud Mel Gibson’s direction or Andrew Garfield’s extraordinary ability to play a real superhero- the American soldier.
No, I tell you because one of my first thoughts as I walked out of the movie theater that night was “Why don’t I pray this prayer?”
There are so many “wounded soldiers” in my life, so many that, apart from Great Physician, are lying dead in the field. And I have been called. I have been drafted into the Lord’s Army. (Funny how the VBS songs come to mean so much more as we grow older.) I have been called to seek out the sick, the dying, the lost, and bring them to safety, to Christ. And then, not to pause to receive praise, not to take a break, not to quit because I at least did better than another soldier, but to go back into the battlefield, dodging all that Satan throws at me, and find another soul to save. Just one more. Always looking for one more.
Desmond gives his reason for not carrying a weapon. He says, “God gave life and I didn't want to take life.” Whether you have these same beliefs or not, you have to admire a man that sticks by his principles the way he does.
I don’t stand by mine. I say I want to show Christ and salvation in my life, but am I really seeking and saving the lost?
Sometimes I think I am taking life. Sometimes I find myself in enemy trenches, throwing grenades or gossip and pride, misrepresenting everything I claim to be about. That’s not saving, that’s taking life. That’s leading people away from Christ.
I know I can’t be the only one that feels like they do more killing for Satan than saving for God.
I’m trading in my gun for the sword of the spirit, the word of God, exchanging grenades for love and killing for saving.
Join me. Join the Lord’s Army. Let’s all just try to get one more. Just bring one more soul to Christ. And then go do it again. And never stop, because our men are dying out there and someone’s gotta help them. They’re on enemy territory, in a foreign land, forgetting what it is they’re fighting for and they need us. You. Me. They need the love of the Lamb and the spirit of the Lion.
What are you waiting for?
You’ve been called. You’ve been charged. Get out there soldier. You’re ready. You can do it. Just get one more.
