On a warm July day in 1861, two armies of a divided nation clashed for the first time at Manassas. Citizens from Washington came to watch the fighting, and the raw recruits were "thankful that they would not miss the only battle of what surely would be a short war" (Manassas National Battlefield Park brochure). Well, we all know that the Civil War was not short . . . and First Manassas would not be the only battle. It was here at Stone Bridge that the opening shots were fired.
In the Civil War, brothers fought against brothers. We are fighting similar battles in our own lives. Christ said, "I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law" (Matt 10:34-35). Christ adds later that "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:37).
Scary! However, we are all going to face opposition if we follow Christ, and Christ is reminding us that we have to stay strong. I'm blessed that my family believes in Christ, but I've met many people who do not support what I'm doing here in the D.C. South Mission. Eighteen months is a long time to stand strong; the Civil War was a long and costly fight; the length of our lives is a privilege to fight for Christ.
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