If I were to take a poll, how many people would have heard of a Hoplite Phalanx? Like, one or two. Ok, different question, how many people have seen the film 300 or know even a smidge about Spartan culture and combat? Plenty. Plenty of people have seen the film or know about this Greek City-State's fascination, nay, obsession with military might and strength. Therefore, plenty of people know what a Hoplite Phalanx is.
A Hoplite Phalanx is a military term. I am no military history fanatic, but bear with me... Basicaly, lines of men would stand right next to eachother. Line after line of men would form a phalanx. In this unit, each man would hold his shield on his left arm. Meaning, that alone, only the left half of his body would be covered. However, in the phalanx, he was secure and protected. As long as every Spartan soldier held his shield up, the man next to him was COMPLETELY protected. The entire front of his body was covered by, not only his own shield, but also by his brother's shield.
In all actuality, Spartan soldiers had no different weapons than their Greek counterparts. It wasn't individual skill that made them a sight to behold on the battlefield. As individuals, they were ordinary. As a unit, they were unstoppable. Spartans understood this. That is why, at a ridiculously young age, boys were brought to barracks to live. They ate, trained, and grew up inside a tight unit. These were the family they chose.
My mind has been going back to the phalanx recently. And, I could not escape how it can really represent a beautiful aspect of the Church. The body of believers is really the family WE choose. They are our non-blood related sisters and brothers, our spiritual mothers and fathers. They are the people that we grow with. They've seen us young in our Christian walk. They've watched us mature. And, they face battles alongside us.
More importantly, the phalanx shows that for the Church to be unstoppable, we must begin to work as a unit. We cannot merely cover our own butts with a shield and expect a victory. No, we have to worry about the brother (or sister) next to us. No one soldier is more valuable than the other. That is not to say that we lose our individuality in the body of believers! Absolutely not! God made each and every one of us INDIVIDUALLY. Notice this: In ancient Sparta, each soldier had to be well trained and well prepared. If they could not carry a shield or did not have the courage to stand against an onslaught, the entire phalanx was put at risk. Each Spartan had to be at their best, but not for the glory of themselves. It was for the glory of Sparta. The phalanx was made up of individuals who each had a role to play and gave themselves entirely to that calling. The same should be true for us...
Each individual has gifts and talents. Each individual has a calling by God. However, it is not for our glory, but for the glory of Christ. No one person is so special that they no longer are required to look out for the men and women around them. To be unstoppable, we must begin to protect, not only ourselves and our own interests, but the interests of the family we have chosen.
