Phil’s Armor

I sat in a meeting yesterday with Phil. I have known Phil and his wife for years. We’ve spent time in worship together, eaten at social events together and — memorably — served side by side on a committee of leaders committed to living life together in community. Most recently, David and I have been with Phil in a group of people learning about generosity together. So you know who Phil is: he’s the guy you know from church. You know him this well, but no more. He could be sitting in the next row from you in church this week, too. He is, in many ways, a church everyman.

Well yesterday, as I said, we were in a meeting on generosity with Phil. It was one of those meetings that could go either way. You might end up baring your soul or you might end up creating a church-wide action plan. Or you could, conceivably, end up wishing you’d kept your dentist appointment instead of attending this meeting. Now you know the kind of meeting we were in with Phil. Perfectly unremarkable.

Until Phil began talking.

He told a story about the whole armor of God. And forget the tacky Roman sword and breastplate…Phil related that passage of scripture to the gear he used during his time in Vietnam. It was a time in his life where that helmet of truth — the helmet — was more than a theory to Phil. No helmet, no head. Simple. That belt and breastplate and sword, they were the tools that kept Phil alive. He told us about a buddy, standing next to him, who was dead in an instant. With a tongue that dripped vocabulary like KIA and MIA and WIA without hesitation, Phil reminded us that living in the kingdom is living in a war zone. And maybe, just maybe, some of us are standing around without our helmets on.

Phil has a great story, and I never would have known it if I didn’t sit still long enough to hear it. And his background colors and influences everything he does. For Phil, our study in generosity means something completely different because of his experiences. It’s richer, or at least different, from mine.

I was convicted yesterday, wondering how many unique and inspiring stories like Phil’s are sitting next to me in church or the coffee shop. And I’m wondering how to tell them.

Tagged as: Church, community, generosity