“Mutually Trapped” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) [Reflections on Ralph D. Sawyer's Translation of One Hundred Unorthodox Strategies - Battle Tactics of Chinese Warfare #35-36]

An Army on a mountaintop, and army down below,
Each have advantage but are trapped by other, history shows;
For heights are good (for short time), but they food and water lack
While those below are vulnerable to hit-and-run attacks.

I had not viewed the mountains and the valleys down below,
As being hard to navigate, but soldiers in the know
Are well aware of challenges they offer to both sides,
While complications can emerge when tricks are used besides.

For it is easy to conceal one’s motives when the land
Is full of obstacles to sight and hearing – understand,
That what’s presented as the true position of the foe,
Quite likely is distortion to where enemy would go.

Lord, what I hear when this is flipped, is Your amazing grace,
Which takes us from our comfort zones, as in the present case –
It might well be a standoff, or depletion of resource;
So “fourteen moves ahead, like chess” is requisite, as course.

Like, let them play their silliness out as a victory,
Until they are confronted with some loving act from Thee;
While they will see they’re not so smart, You’re way ahead once more,
As loving acts o’erwhelm the “Facts” – their actions they abhor.

Like in that meeting long ago, when honcho saw himself
With actions stripped of their veneer, much closer then to stealth;
He had the grace to own all that, though carried on the same,
At least he owned his attitudes, as well as their sick game.

I like that, Lord, “Mud and the kid” – it’s kid we need to save,
As You take on the “Sticky mud” of evil – task God gave
To You to do, through body-life of gifted girls and boys –
To save in fact, put evil down, not just engage in noise.

So Lord, as I press on from here, I’m more aware of plans
You have way up ahead, where it’s a standoff in our lands;
You ask us to “Do this and that”, to give You room to act;
What’s needed is compliance – lets You rescue folks in fact –

While at the same time, taking on the bigger problem-set –
The evil in its spirit-form contagious is, and yet –
You know all this, and ask us to abide in You each day,
Responding as and when we’re asked, in larger game You play.

Thanks Lord for this.

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