Greetings everyone. My name is Philip Soen and I am Elisha McFarland’s uncle. Presently, I live in Dallas, Texas, where I have been studying to become a university professor. This last July (2020) I had the privilege of vacationing in St. Albans, West Virginia. There Elisha’s family hosted my two daughters and me. Time with the McFarlands was wonderful, and I had the special privilege of connecting with Elisha and his younger brother Noah. All three of us slept in the same room and would often stay up late talking about the day’s events, entertainment, or theology. I very much enjoyed both Elisha and Noah and their flourishing interest in knowing the ultimate things about God and his word.

After I returned from my vacation, Elisha invited me to post an entry on his blog. The topic is power for courageous action. This particular topic interests me greatly because the world is full of danger, and without any power to conquer threatening forces, valiant action is impossible. As far as I’m concerned, courageous action is the only way forward in a world that seeks to destroy life, dishonor good people, and denigrate the triune God. Where, however, can one obtain power for such action?

This is a perplexing question. Courage may be a man’s greatest desire, but such a man could go his entire life without an ounce of such a quality. So, where can anyone get power for courageous action? I stumbled upon the answer when reading through Homer’s Iliad the other day. (Have you ever read The Iliad?! If you haven’t, you should). The answer? Achilles’ spear.

Continue reading “Grasping Achilles’ Spear: Human Power and Courage in The Iliad and the Bible (Guest Post)” →