Every year, on 6th June, I post a picture commemorating D-Day on social media. There are some obvious reasons for this. It’s not just that I’m fascinated by WW2, and a historical wargamer. D-Day resonates with “ordinary” people, and so it’s an accessible point to show our appreciation for that generation, and the costly fight against Fascism. D-day itself claimed 4,414 Allied soldiers and sailors – and their sacrifice is worth honouring.
But I want to offer some additional reflections on why, as a Christian living 76 years later, D-Day is still teaching me lessons.
It was Morally Good
Causes matter. In Christian theology there is a concept of a Just War – responding to aggression; peace-restoring; a last resort; under recognised authority; to limited ends; of limited means; protecting non-combatants; and with a reasonable chance of success. The Allied endeavour in WW2, as an almost total war, falls short on these measures – but Operation Overlord as a campaign seems to me to tick the right boxes. Ultimately, the overthrow of European Fascism was a just cause – and D-Day epitomises that.
As a Christian I want our society to be inspired to noble deeds in pursuit of just causes. We’re too casual with how we brandish the word “fascist” these days – but equally too quick to dismiss as tokenistic the activism of “social justice warriors”. As Christians we can reflect on worthy concepts like “Just War Theory” and be salt and light, preserving the integrity of just causes with some good, honest, thinking.
It was a Costly Fellowship
D-Day pitched two versions of unity against each other. Defending the Atlantik Wall were SS fanatics, Wehrmacht professionals, and Ersatz conscripts drafted in from Germany’s eastern conquests – the unifying concept was Germany’s strength. On D-Day it faced a union not only for, but of liberty: the British and Commonwealth forces were no longer the machinery of Empire (that had begun to be shattered in far-off places like Singapore, and the vestiges of empire couldn’t last long post-war); the Americans had pressing interests in the Pacific Theatre, but had agreed to a Europe-first policy in the Alliance; not to mention the Free French, Poles, and Norwegians who played crucial roles. D-Day demonstrated the power of international partnership – a fellowship of shared burdens towards a shared goal.
Burdens should not be compelled upon the weak, but shared, even lifted entirely, by the strong. A Christian worldview has to be shaped by the kenotic narrative of Philippians 2: the self-emptying (the Greek word is kenosis) of God the Son to serve us in going to the cross. The grim statistics of the Covid-19 pandemic are showing up this need: the poorest – the vulnerable and underfunded care sector, and areas of multiple deprivation – suffer higher infection and fatality rates; healthcare in developing nations face yet more pressure; and as we set up emergency powers to tackle Covid-19, the most powerless of all, the unborn, were left to face termination by phone call. Saying “All Lives Matter” is a cop-out if we can’t shoulder such burdens.
It was Ingenious
Popular tellings of D-Day are full of heroic action: Pegasus Bridge, Dog Green, etc. But the most enduring images of D-Day are also full of technical ingenuity. Andrew Higgins designed the small, fast boats that delivered soldiers to the beaches. Hitler bitterly dubbed him the “New Noah”. Percy Hobart designed specialist armoured vehicles to support the amphibious assault: the Duplex Drive Shermans, and other “Hobart’s Funnies”. At 57, he was too old for service, but Churchill, who recognised a need for new ideas, had ordered his re-enlistment to Divisional command. D-Day was only successful because ingenuity was deployed – and thank God for it!
New challenges need new ideas. Higgins and Hobart knew war in 1944 was not new: it meant taking, and holding, the enemy’s ground. But they knew new tools were needed. It troubles me when Christians view all innovation with suspicion – does changing some of our methods threaten the message of the Gospel? The Church has done admirably in the first half of 2020 – with many congregations across Scotland adopting some sort of online format. But it will remain in this situation going into the second part of 2020. Like for Higgins and Hobart, we know our conflict is no different: disciples must still be made. We pursue that with the boldness of those following Christ who has already won for us. But the tools for our part will have to change (I don’t know how effective some were anyway!). For example, we need to think about is how we form Christian worldview in disciples when we have very limited opportunity for it. One of my convictions is that if the Church in Scotland is going to grow, it will mean new Christians entering the body, with almost no biblical mindset. Innovation cannot just be about streaming technology: but the sort of resources pastors and elders can maximise to enable the mission of disciple making.
D-Day is still teaching me lessons. D.V. I’ll be back next year, hopefully still learning from, and still appreciating that wise and courageous generation.
Thinking allowed 