Christianity and a Southern Man: A Clash of Ideals

“COME AND TAKE IT!”

These four words, with the image of a cannon or an AR-15 close by, are the motto of many a man here in the South. They’re written on ball caps and T-shirts, plastered on the back windows of pick-up trucks, and emblazoned on flags flown high for all to see. But they aren’t just some trendy words or a catchy slogan; they are a rallying cry – a call to arms – for men here in the South. What they say about us Texans is true: We love our God, and we love our guns!… and we dare you to come and take either of them away from us!

But who are these courageous men who make these bold and daring statements?

To be clear, I am not talking about soldiers. I’m talking about civilian men. I am talking about men who work 9 to 5s. Many of them come home to wives and children each night. They have Bibles by their bedsides. Many of them show up to church on Sundays and say a prayer before meals with their family. Sure, they may listen to a little country music, and throw back a few cold ones on a Friday night, but these are good men. These are the types of men who defend the honor of women. These are men with morals – men with courage. They are men who aren’t afraid of a hard day’s work! These are the men women are attracted to – the men boys want to become! They are esteemed. Yes, here in the South, we have real Christian American men! … Or at least we think we do.

Is it possible that this phrase – “Come and Take it” – may in fact represent something terribly wrong with the ideal of a man we currently hold in our minds? Is it possible those four words reveal a great misunderstanding (or should I say deception) about what it means to be a Christian and what the call of Christ actually was? I believe it may be so.

We must be very clear about what these words, “Come and Take it,” truly mean …

They mean the same thing now as they did in 1778, when first used by Colonel McIntosh in reply to the British requirement to surrender Fort Morris. McIntosh, although vastly outnumbered, responded to the British commander’s demand with these bold words: “…as to surrendering the fort, receive this laconic reply: COME AND TAKE IT!”

These words are a dare; I dare you to come and take what is mine! I dare you to try to take my guns! I dare you to try to strip me of my religious freedoms! I dare you to try to take any of my possessions – my stuff. I dare you to infringe upon any of my rights! And if you should try, I will use these guns against you! I will resist – I will defy you! I will not back down. I will fight to the death! … Because that is what a real American “Christian” man – here in the South – does!

But if that Bible-believing man were to grab that dusty Book off his nightstand and read it, I think he would see that the call of Christ was actually much different. The rallying cry of Christ was not one of defiance and defense! No, it was “Pick up your cross and follow me.” Do we not think that the “rights” of Christ Himself were being infringed upon, when they nailed Him to that cross? Yet He did not resist. He remained silent as they led Him to His slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). He did not defy, as His most precious right – the right to breathe – was infringed upon!

My friend, this is no trivial matter. We are talking about the very essence of Christianity – death to self! That is what “Pick up your cross” means! It means that the minute we claimed Him as Lord and Savior, we relinquished all these so-called rights that we think we deserve – that we think we are owed. When we come to Christ, we come with open hands, possessing nothing any longer (Luke 14:33). Everything we once held onto so tightly — our rights, our possessions, our ambitions and goals — it was all nailed to a cross two thousand years ago! We are now strangers and aliens in a foreign land; our citizenship and inheritance are in Heaven. I fear that, here in the South, where we proclaim God most boldly, we have absolutely no clue what Christianity really is or what the message of Christ actually was.

The writer to the Hebrews sums up the call of Christ beautifully…

“For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.” (Hebrews 10:34)

That is Christianity! They accepted JOYFULLY the seizure of their property! Why?? Because they knew they had a better and lasting possession!

My friend, the time is coming very quickly in this nation when our Christianity will be tested; when those who have for themselves a better and lasting possession will be separated from those who do not. I think it is possible that both of those groups may be uttering the same four words when that day of testing comes.

Many will be saying “Come and Take it,” with pride and defiance in their hearts. With anger and clenched fists, they will courageously proclaim their willingness to fight to the death for the things of this world. With each bullet loaded into their stockpiled arsenal of guns, they will be proclaiming which world they possess!

There will be a few, though, who say the same four words, “Come and Take it,” but – like those Hebrews – they will have big smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts! With open hands, they will surrender the insignificant things of this life. With each item they relinquish, they will be demonstrating the evidence of their salvation; a life that has died to this world. As each one of their rights is infringed upon, their contented silence will be shouting the message of another Kingdom to a confused and dying world that looks on!