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Before the one God had given Light its birth,
Before man took his dominion over Earth,
A battle was begun, a soldier needed.
So angels donned armor, and call was heeded.
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| Colton Stinger - Class of 2019 |
Then as Heaven fought Hell, these soldiers prevailed,
And then heroes among them were justly hailed.
It was when light began and clay became man,
That evil crept forth to enact its own plan.
Strife, hunger, and conflict were loosed from their cage,
And what befell man still persists to this age.
And as the world of men fell into darkness,
Man then, against his own soul, turned traitorous.
And though this, man’s fall, saw angels filled with rage,
In the war’s new battle, they dared not engage.
This fight was man’s own, though he was not prepared,
For the centuries of struggle and despair.
Struggled we have, as the world has kept turning.
Though night did fall, man’s light was dimly burning.
But no ground was gained till men became soldiers.
Then Heaven’s cause they took upon their shoulders.
As man learned again what virtues to adore,
The just soldier found strength enough to wage war.
For generations, this battle has ensued.
Each generation has seen the fight renewed.
Slowly we have seen the world’s darkness carved out,
And light brought to people who still lived in doubt.
But nothing is gained without great sacrifice,
Perhaps to regain some claim to paradise.
I once had a vision of angels on Earth.
And now I wonder as to this vision’s worth.
Angels became soldiers, the same path of men.
Perhaps now soldiers are angels once again.
Colton Stinger, of Elizabethtown, Ky., is a sophomore McConnell Scholar studying chemistry and political science.