Christmas Musings Day 13

Misunderstanding

Micha 5:2 (ESV) ² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,

               We like the trappings of power. During my military career, I often worked around general officers and other senior leaders. Some of them truly enjoyed the perks of their higher rank. In Second Armored Division, we had Commanding General (CG) who was quite enamored with the privileges that came along with two stars. He had a large trailer that we had to pull to the field whenever we went out on a field training exercise. It had its own power, heater, and air-conditioner, which at Fort Hood was quite nice. He had numerous communications requirements for his trailer. As the signal officer assigned to the Division Tactical Command Post (DTAC), I was responsible for ensuring that his equipment always worked properly. One of the first things I always did was spend several hours setting up his suite of commo equipment. Then we got a new CG, General Ivany.

               During his first exercise with us, I was in his trailer setting things up when he arrived. He came in, looked around, and called for his Command Sergeant Major (CSM). When the CSM arrived, MG Iveney asked him, “Sergeant-Major, do all my troops have trailers like this to sleep in while in the field?”

               The CSM snorted and said, “Oh, no sir.”

               “Then take this away. Bring me a GP-Small (small tent), a standard Army cot, a field desk, and a folding chair,” then turning on me, “SIGO (Signal Officer), all I need as a field phone and a secure field phone. Take all the rest away.”

               “Yessir,” I replied and got busy. The word soon went out that our new CG did not require special treatment and would live like we did in the field. He did live like we did, taking his meals off the fender of a deuce and a half in the middle of the night after a training exercise ran late. His troops responded with great respect and high performance. MG Ivany was not the first to do this. He followed in the footsteps of Jesus.

               Eschewing the trappings of kingship, Jesus arrived in Bethlehem of all places, and in a barn. We look at leaders in the world and see men and women that flaunt the benefits of their place. The higher the rank, the greater the privilege. Get way up there and you get your own aircraft. They love to fling their bling. It’s part of how they subdue the rest of us mere mortals; but, our savior laid all that aside to come and rub shoulders with the rest of us. Bethlehem, too small to matter, to even be counted, served as the birthplace of Immanuel. Even His name reminds us that He came to hang out with His friends…God with us. Born in a berg.