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Touché
By Scott Harrup | July 24, 2008
He was a half-colonel in the Soviet Union’s KGB; his opponent, a sergeant in the British Army. It was the Cold War in microcosm at the 1976 Montreal Olympics when Boris Onishenko faced Jim Fox in the épée event during the Men’s Team Modern Pentathlon. Unlike regular Olympic fencing, the Pentathlon event only requires one touch of the competition sword for victory.
Onishenko had already been victorious against other athletes. But Fox suspected foul play. When Onishenko plunged in with an attack, Fox dramatically stepped out of range. The electronic scoring mechanism still registered a hit.
When the technical jury examined Onishenko’s épée, they discovered a button in the handle that triggered an electronic hit without contact. Western media quickly dubbed the Soviet swordsman “Disonischenko.”
There are roughly 450 references to the sword in Scripture, depending on the translation. For the most part, the subject is an actual sword that readily separates life from limb. But the sword is also a powerful metaphor for the Word of God. And in that capacity, the focus is on life.
But to receive or to share that life, one must use the Word correctly. Too often, a well-meaning Christian will hurl a single verse in accusation. How many Bibles are waved dramatically by people who don’t really live by biblical principles?
God’s Word cuts to the heart of our existence, casting aside sin’s delusions and pointing us to the truth. It’s the most refined life-shaping instrument in history. And it’s always more effective when studied with care and shared with love.
