OVER-THE-HORIZON

As crises do, the debacle of the U.S.’s botched pull-out of Afghanistan has introduced a new metaphor into common parlance: Over-the-horizon. Seeking to ameliorate and quieten the growing criticism of and alarm over our no longer having personnel, boots-on-the-ground, to deal with terrorism or to ensure the safety of stranded Americans and our allies, our president attempted to assure us that America would deal with emerging terrorist threats with “over-the-horizon” capabilities (drones, missiles, airstrikes, etc.). Before momentarily getting a bit tedious with this, indulge me to remind you that what I’m really after, intending, is to make an encouraging spiritual point. There is both an offensive and defensive need for boots-on-the-ground: If terrorists are using a location in Afghanistan as a base to plan, train for, and launch a terrorist attack, only boots-on-the-ground can provide the necessary reconnaissance, obtain the accurate coordinates, etc., needed to take the terrorists out and abort their malevolent designs. Boots-on-the-ground is also needed to locate, protect, and guide to safety those Americans and allies who have been stranded. Yet, since occupation in perpetuity is untenable, “over-the-horizon” capabilities are essential to combat terrorism and protect our allies. However, the very reason over-the-horizon capabilities are essential is also a reason that with Afghanistan they by themselves are effectually insufficient: Afghanistan is landlocked and surrounded by nations either openly hostile or none too friendly with Americans. Over-the-horizon capabilities are great--if they are not too far over-the-horizon. With no seaports nearby, ships cannot get very close to the Taliban-held country. With no cooperating parameter countries, no airbase allows planes to be just over-the-horizon. In reality, America has very anemic over-the-horizon capabilities to deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The best scenario both to obliterate a growing threat of an attack and to facilitate the protection of our compatriots and allies is to have both boots-on-the-ground (however small a contingency that may be, i.e., special forces) and over-the-horizon capabilities. Spiritually, we believers live in a hostile world. We have enemies both seen and unseen that would attack us. We have enemies that would seek to prevent our getting out of this world and to our true country of origin—heaven. We are “landlocked,” surrounded by all that is inimical to our faith and existence. Yet, we must realize we have both over-the-horizon and boots-on-the-ground help and protection. Heaven may seem distant, but it is a more than adequate base from which we receive over-the-horizon assistance. We may seem grossly outnumbered, but God always has His boots-on-the-ground special forces to show up to help us. One of the detriments of over-the-horizon help is inaccurate or changing information of the coordinates of the enemy’s or friend’s location. That was the reason for the recent tragic loss of lives during a drone attack in Afghanistan. But heaven always has accurate coordinates on where a believer is. Another detriment is the over-the-horizon base’s being too far distant to get help in time to a friend or to stop an enemy. Help sent from heaven travels faster than the fastest jet, drone, or missile; faster than the speed of light. A distress signal/message is sent to and received at the over-the-horizon base. The base responds. When we pray, we send out a distress signal to our over-the-horizon help—heaven. Heaven immediately picks it up. Heaven responds. Sometimes heaven activates and deploys forces stationed there. Sometimes heaven activates boots-on-the-ground. Say a Christian is distressed with depression. He prays. God can send help over the horizon from heaven. He can send a specific word straight to the person’s heart, special healing, etc. But He may speak to a friend’s, family member’s, or minister’s, heart and send them with a word. The warehouses and barracks of heaven are full of forces and resources that God can deploy from over-the-horizon. But God can also deploy special forces on the ground. Either way, God has both unseen and seen, heaven originated or earth originated, angelic or human, agents and help to deploy. I know some people get freakily carried away with angels. But they are real. Scripture has said that the angels in heaven keep vigilant eyes on the individuals they are assigned to watch. Scripture declares God has given those who behold His face in heaven, angels, charge over we believers. That is the over-the-horizon help. They see from heaven a believer’s dilemma and heaven responds from over-the-horizon. But there are also times God deploys these angels and sends them in, boots-on-the-ground. He sends them to minister to His people. Even human help may come from “over-the-horizon” or from boots-on-the-ground. A distressed missionary eight time zones away may awaken to an encouraging email from a believer he has never met but upon whose heart God has impressed that the missionary needs prayer for encouragement. Or, God may send a national that lives two shanties down to that missionary with a word of encouragement. Yes, God has angels in heaven watching and on earth assisting; however, most usually, God uses people to help people. He has people everywhere, boots-on-the-ground close by, ready, to help someone in distress. When COVID has barred loved ones from visiting, God has a caring nurse who, with great kindness, not only ministers to the physical needs of an ailing, aged resident in the nursing home but also encourages that one’s soul with gentle words. When the pastor can’t get into the hospital to pray for a parishioner, God has a doctor that asks if he can pray with his patient, before the frightening procedure. He has a co-worker who notices. He has an elder at church who will cross the sanctuary. He has a Sunday School teacher, a day school teacher, a relative, a neighbor, a pastor. His special forces are embedded everywhere among us. Forces nearby He can activate. He also has over-the horizon capabilities. A family is struggling to pay a medical bill. An anonymous letter from the other side of the nation arrives with a money order of the amount it needs. A distant friend not seen in years texts out of nowhere the very word one needs to hear. A family member five states away phones. Sadly and tragically, neither boots-on-the-ground nor over-the-horizon help is working in Afghanistan. But, when we are in need or under attack, God knows our coordinates. God can send help from over-the-horizon or activate boots-on-the-ground. Or both. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel so stranded or landlocked or outnumbered after all. --Pastor Clifford Hurst