The battle of Thermopylae occurred in 480 BC when King Xerxes I of Persia led some gigantic army (scholars aren't exactly sure about the exact number but guesses have been anywhere from 100,000 to 1 million though it seems more likely to be lower on that scale) into Greece to conquer it. King Leonidas of Sparta led a much smaller force of about 7,000 soldiers to a narrow mountain pass to stem the invasion temporarily.It was a death mission, a courageous last stand for the greater good of Greece. Outnumbered and out-supplied, the Spartans and their fellow Greek comrades held strong for 2 full days of battle despite the odds against them. Unfortunately, the Greeks were betrayed by a local traitor who informed the Persians of a narrow path that went behind the Greek army. Upon hearing the news, the Spartan king dismissed the bulk of his small army and made one final stand with his few remaining troops.
I'm a sucker for these inspiring, courageous, military stories of commitment, loyalty and valor. Here's a quote describing this ethos, "When I first came to Lakedaemon and they called me 'Suicide,' I hated it. But in time I came to see its wisdom, unintentional as it was. For what can be more noble than to slay oneself? Not literally. Not with a blade in the guts. but to extinguish the selfish self within, that part which looks only to its own preservation, to save its own skin. That, I saw was the victory you Spartans had gained over yourselves. That was the glue.
"When a warrior fights not for himself, but for his brothers, when his most passionately sought goal is neither glory nor his own life's preservation, but to spend his substance for them, his comrades, not to abandon them, not to prove unworthy of them, then his heart truly has achieved contempt for death, and with that he transcends himself and his actions touch the sublime."
There is so much biblical truth in this perspective. A Christian should truly die to himself and love his brothers and sisters - the Church. The church of God should have this commitment, this unity, this eternal love. It reminds me of John 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26 "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."
The book nailed biblical servant leadership too. Here's a quote of a Spartan soldier rebuking the Persian King who did not exemplify servant leadership like the Spartan king did. "I will tell his Majesty what a king is. A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men's loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them. He serves them, not they him."
What a description of humble leadership! It does describe the King of Kings, Jesus Christ and should describe me as one of the leaders of my church and as the leader of my home.
All in all, a very entertaining read with good spiritual illustrations. However, it does not romanticize war but describes it in plenty of gory detail. I know actual war is far, far worse and is the closest picture of hell on earth, but the book made you feel what war could be like.
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