Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Kingdom lessons from Hogan's Heroes

I'm not going to pretend that my love for the 60s TV show "Hogan's Heroes" is primarily spiritual in nature. Its actually my "mindless entertainment" - my way of unwinding and sharing a laugh or two with my husband. As I've blogged before, I love it because good and evil are clearly defined and in every episode, the evil Nazis get their comeuppance at the hands of the good Allies.

But I can't help noticing that there are some real parallels to being on mission with God. Tonight's episode was no different, but it left me reflecting in new ways on this journey to be a World Christian, a kingdom-focused believer in the world but not of the world.

The basic premise of the show focuses on a handful of prisoners of war in a German POW camp. These Allies from England, France, the U.S., and occasionally Russia volunteered for an unusual assignment when they were captured: Rather than escaping at the first opportunity (the SOP for POW's), they committed to not escape and instead use whatever means available to help other prisoners escape and undermine the German war effort. Here are just a few of the kingdom lessons I've observed watching Hogan's Heroes:
  • What bonds us together is more significant than our differences. The Heroes are defined by their commitment to a common goal: defeating a common enemy. Their differences are very real and often come out during their good-natured ribbing at each others' cultural quirks. But Hogan never lets them forget who the real enemy is. Scripture reminds us of the same truth. In Mark 9, Jesus taught His disciples not to get distracted by unimportant issues: Mark 9:38-40 (NASB) John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us."
  • It takes a team. The prisoners in the camp have different talents. There's Hogan, the leader; Newkirk, the complaining safecracker; Kinch, the quiet radio man; Carter, the nerdy ammunition expert; and Lebeau, the proud French chef whose apple strudel can distract a guard in a heartbeat. There's also the frontline underground, who risk their lives in ways the prisoners can't, the coordinating team in London, as well as the military personnel still fighting. Yet they back each other up and never forget they are on the same side. Similarly, being on mission with God is a team effort. Whether we are on the front line, working "underground" in a secular environment, gathered with teammates or working alone, in a support role or a primary leadership responsibility - we are all on the same team. It's been said that everyone on "the field" needs at least 12 back home actively engaged in prayer and practical support roles (as well as financial supporters). Whether you are the one or the 12, we have to remember we're on a team.
  • Don't major on minors. In tonight's episode, the team's goal was to obtain top secret troop movement information. To do that they staged a boxing match. Kinch lost the match intentionally, and the guys who bet on the match lost a lot of money to the German guards. They were complaining about the losses and Hogan reminded them "We have something more important - pictures of those maps". Often we get distracted by the minor elements, the staging ground God lays out to accomplish His bigger purpose. As we lift our eyes to Him, He will shift our focus and help us stay aware of what really matters. Keeping a kingdom perspective is crucial to being on mission with God. 
  • Evil comes in obvious - and not-so-obvious - clothes. Sometimes the evil in Hogan's Heroes is easy to identify. We know that the truck carrying German weapons represents the evil Nazis. It might take a while to determine whether the beautiful girl is really with the underground or actually Gestapo. In Hogan's Heroes, the enemy knows the weaknesses of the prisoners and tries to exploit them. The same is true of our enemy. If he can get to us as an "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14) then he never needs to bare his teeth and show us his full demonic nature. Unfortunately we discover that later - often too late 
  • There is more going on beneath the surface than we will ever imagine. Hogan's Heroes have built an elaborate underground structure - tunnels that contain storage areas, radio rooms, fake printing presses, even food. The enemy walks on top of these tunnels daily, usually without suspecting a thing. Similarly, what God is up to in the world is beyond anything we can fathom. He is orchestrating the movement of nations and people, the minute details of life and the big picture of the world, for His glory to open doors for the Gospel to all people. Habakkuk never could have imagined the kingdom purpose God had for Babylon surrounding Israel - but God was definitely at work. Habakkuk 1:5; 2:14 "Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days - you would not believe if you were told....For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." As Paul noted to the Romans (Romans 11:33) "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!". When the enemy prowls about like a roaring lion, He has absolutely no idea what God has planned just under the surface of what's going on. 
Whether you're a Hogan's Heroes fan or not, I hope this quick look has encouraged you in thinking about God's kingdom purposes. I like to say that no one will ever be more passionate to fulfill the Great Commission than God Himself. He has a purpose and invites us to join Him in it. Our assignment might look a little out of the ordinary - and it definitely won't be as safe as escaping to heaven would be - but the rewards are eternal. May you be encouraged today to stay in the battle - if you're on mission with God, you are one of Heaven's Heroes!

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