Think About it -- Strong Leaders. Armed.

Nearly 50 years ago, a friend of mine (Ron), who served in the 173^rd Airborne in Vietnam, introduced me to the book “Strong Men Armed.” Ron and I would often run together in the pre-dawn hours to keep our health up. He could see the spiritual message in anything life dealt him or others. Ron would talk of spiritual connections to real life as we ran. I miss those runs.

While the book's main message was a firsthand account of battles between U.S. Marines and Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater, Ron was intrigued by a unique aspect of what he read. That was the dynamic of strong, dangerous leaders who disagreed sharply, then reached conclusions and launched effective battle plans.

He likened them to Paul & Peter in what is known as “The Antioch Incident.” Paul starts the passage of Galatians 2:11-14 by stating, “But when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.” Peter had slipped into the hypocrisy of Jewish legalism. Paul wouldn’t tolerate it. Here were 2 of the most influential men of that century disagreeing sharply on details of our journey as Christ followers.

Those 2 men never lost respect for each other, but one was wrong, and the other called him out on it. Peter’s letters (1^stand 2^nd Peter), written later, confirm not only that our sanctification is by grace, but also affirmed his confidence in Paul as one God had chosen to impart wisdom.

I have had the honor of working with strong leaders through the years, both men and women. I have also worked with weak leaders, both men and women, who tried to be something they could never be. Pretender’s names fade into obscurity. The strong survive.

I was recently in a meeting with 2 truly strong leaders, dedicated to the same outcomes, both seasoned with decades of experience in the topic, but their experiences have left them each with distinct differences in how to navigate it. There will be more meetings, time, and prayer. It’s not over.

But I am convinced there will be a conclusion. There will be a path forward.

Think About it

Strong personalities often approach the same obstacle with different solutions. When they desire the same outcome, they work through the differences.

They are strong leaders. Armed.