The Feet of the Gospel of Peace

# 3 out of 6

Just as important as the weapon in the hand of a soldier is their feet. Many people think sword battle is all about arm strength, but more so than anywhere else, is the strength of the legs. In sport fencing, it is the feet that set up the distance to time attacks and defenses. The feet need to bring you forward and backwards, sometimes changing directions in the blink of an eye. They must be fast and fencers must practice their footwork more than any other area. Why? They have to be able to do thier footwork subconsciously, without thinking about it and concentrate on their opponent. If a fencers thinks about thier footwork, the sport is too fast for them to react and they are hit. Fencers also must wear proper shoes and knickers. This protects their legs and feet, while also given them the flexiblity in the legs to move at high speeds. The shoes are also of upmost importance as the feet need to be light and agile. If a fencer wears heavy boots, or if women wear high heels, they can't move with any kind of speed, and they will never be able to get thier distance right, let alone successfully execute a lunge.

As Believers in Christ, the Gospel of Peace is our footwork. We have to know the Gospel so well that we are ready to give an answer by instinct without having to think about it. If we have to think about what we are going to say, or try to dig back into the depths of our memory, we will lose our witnessing power. Isaiah tells us "beautiful are the feet that brings Good News". The Good News is the Gospel of Peace. Peace is not a lack of war, like darkness is a lack of light. War is the lack of peace. Peace is also an understanding that even if you don't know what will happen, this is the thing that needs to be done. Be a peace-maker by standing confident in what you believe and following the Word of God, but don't be a peace-lover by compromising your faith and settling for something short-lived and won't last.

Next post will be the Shield of Faith.