Parthian Arrow

4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4
The Parthian Empire ruled from Persia from 247 B.C. to A.D. 228. The empire included Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaidzhan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Israel. The Parthians had a great army and were crafty in battle. We still have the terminology “Parthian Arrow” (from which we have derived the term “parting shot’) which was the Parthian practice of shooting arrows while in retreat. The idea of attacking while retreating is a good way for Christians to think about the actions of the evil one. The scripture promises us ultimate victory so we must be vigilant but confident as we continue in the faith.
Many times it does not appear the battle is going that well for righteousness. Watching, listening or reading the news can be overwhelming. The city of Chicago is on track for 500 murders this year alone. We worry about the safety of our children and sometimes feel that it is hard to trust anyone, anywhere. Our battle plan seems archaic and ineffective…Love thy neighbor as thyself…turn the other cheek. Can love work in today’s world? In a word: Yes! In this spiritual warfare, we are called to fight the good fight with love, concern and honesty and God will do the rest.

My prayer for you today is that you keep the faith, do right and remember you are on the winning team.

Deacon Larry Woodard