Band of Brothers: Day of Days with Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney
Coming up on the Men at the Movies podcast, we land behind enemy lines in episode 2 of Band of Brothers, Day of Days. At a time when men are increasingly alone and isolated, the solution is to find and engage in a shared mission. The soldiers find themselves in the wrong drop zone, in the dark, undermanned, ill-equipped and a long way from where they should be. Instead of waiting for what they needed to show up, or checking out of the mission all together, they started walking and along the way, found the brothers they needed to accomplish their assignment. Join us as we discover God’s truth in this story.
Quotes
The foxhole effect—the intimacy that results when people are on mission together.
You may not know where you are, but if you know where you are going, you’ll find others along the way.
If we don’t keep the mission forefront in our minds, we will not find others to join with.
God’s on mission. And if you’re going to walk with Him, you’re going to join in the mission.
We have to pay attention to the signs to be aware of where we are and where we need to be. We need to compare the moment we’re in with what the Scripture says.
The Christian army is an army of volunteers. Consent is a huge part of what we’re doing.
Conflict is required for us to grow..
It’s your job to be prepared for the battle ahead. Preparation doesn’t happen alone.
Themes
Our initiation builds on each stage along the way. We aren’t thrown into Bastogne first thing.
Intimacy happens with people who are on mission together—the foxhole effect.
Structure of the Allied and German armies
German doctrine: importance of being within the structure, soldiers not empowered or taught how to act independent from the structure. Could’t act without approval.
American doctrine: trained so every man knew the mission in entirety, empowered to act without leadership, take initiative, highest ranking officer present is in charge. Given tools to identify fellow soldiers.
Church application: every believer is empowered to do the work of God, be involved in the mission of advancing the Kingdom, good leadership empowers every believer. We should have a sense of initiative, but that requires understanding the greater mission to which we are aligned.
Good leaders prioritize your identity. Losing the radio didn’t mean he didn’t have a role to play in the mission.
Even if we’re from different companies, we’re from the same army.
By pursuing the mission we find our band of brothers. And the mission is never comfortable.
The situation: The soldiers are in the dark, far away from where they need to be, don’t have enough people, weapons, or resources. But they start out in faith, believing that God will provide by the time they get there. And along the way they get what they need.
Winters invited others to join him through his vulnerability, authenticity, and honesty. He didn’t demand a weapon, but he did what he could.
Conflict will happen, even with brotherhood. Requires a culture of forgiveness and mission first, not offense gathering.
Resources
“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” - Ephesians 4: 11-13 (NLT)
“Friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden). The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, “What? You too? I thought I was the only one.” We can imagine that among those early hunters and warriors single individuals saw what others did not; saw that the deer was beautiful as well as edible, that hunting was fun as well as necessary…It is when two such persons discover one another, when, whether with immense difficulties and semi-articulate fumblings or with what would seem to us amazing and elliptical speed, they share their vision-it is then that Friendship is born. And instantly they stand together in an immense solitude.” - The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
“We picture lovers face to face, but friends are side by side, looking ahead.” - The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” - Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
In essentials unity, in non- essentials liberty, in all things charity. - Moravian quote
“Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” - James 3:17-18 (MSG)
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35 (NIV)
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.” - 2 Timothy 2:1-6 (ESV)
Questions
How do you identify fellow soldiers?
What are you first? What is your core identity?
In what ways have you “lost your radio?” How did you respond to that situation?
How do you feel in the dark? A long way from where you need to be? Unprepared? Ill-equipped? Undermanned?
More info
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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster
Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston
Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).
Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock.
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