1. That’s cool, Rebecca. I had never thought of it that way!

    I love this statement: “No cross-fire, no collateral damage—just a series of very intentional strokes of a well-honed weapon meant for one purpose.” That is not an image you can create with weapons of today.

    And here’s my completely geeky observation: As you say, the Sword of the Spirit is “God’s word.”  (See the bold? Yes, I am that nerdy.)

    • Rebecca P Minor says:

      Thanks for those words of encouragement and agreement, Kat,and I don’t think you’re nerdy at all, even with the bold-face type. 🙂 It’s also not lost on me how similar the look of a sword and the look of a cross are. I could draw the metaphor out to death! But God’s word as a sword is an image I particularly like.
      Thanks for dropping in today. 🙂

      • Bainespal says:

        It’s also not lost on me how similar the look of a sword and the look of a cross are.

        I believe that this was not lost on the medieval Europeans, either.  Part of the romanticism we attach to swords may be cultural, remnants of Western chivalry.  However, the reason the medieval Europeans saw the cross in their straight-bladed swords may go deeper, and cross cultural lines.
         
        I don’t think there’s anything inherently more romantic about the typical Western “longsword” than any other type of sword.  The Japanese katana is really at least as romanticized.  Yet these different swords from different cultures may have become so significant because of a common significance that the ancients saw in the basic weapon itself.

        • Rebecca P Minor says:

          Very true–the katana carries with it a wealth of symbolism about honor and sacrifice, so it’s not just the straight blades that get the sense of awe attached to them, that’s for certain. Despite the style of the blade and the culture that wields it, think it’s part of the human condition to resonate with what the weapon stands for.
          Thanks for your thoughts, Bainspal! Good to see you here.

  2. Precarious Yates says:

    I love how you point out that the sword appears from Genesis to Revelation! I’d never seen that before.

    • Rebecca P Minor says:

      I appreciate you coming by to read my thoughts today–isn’t it fun when we can get a fresh look at something through someone else’s observations!
      Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂

  3. Literaturelady says:

    Wow.  This is amazing and insightful.  I had never thought of the valor of sword-wielding that way (and I love your phrase “blade based combat”!).  Thank you for sharing these wonderful observations!
    Blessings,
    Literaturelady

    • Rebecca P Minor says:

      I am humbled by your kind comments. It’s not every day a person gets to be labeled insightful. You made my day! Thanks for coming by and sharing your appreciation with me.
       

  4. Galadriel says:

    The other day, my pastor mentioned how the Levites slew the Israelites after they made the golden calf. 

    Pastor: Generally, it’s frowned upon to take up running around with a sword slashing people’s heads off. 

    Which is true, but I still want one. A sword, that is. Not someone else’s head.  Also makes me think of a quote from the Binding of the Blade series (from memory)
     “The sword must be a thinking man’s weapon. They always  entrust the army to the guy with the sword. Never the guy with the spear or the bow and arrows or the war hammer. Prejudice. “
    “That must be  it. It has nothing to do with the fact most soldiers carry swords, nor the fact that most guys with war hammers just come across as lugs who like to smash things.”
    ———– 

    • Rebecca P Minor says:

      That’s an awesome quote…something about the choice of weapon says something about the warrior, huh? I’m glad to be in agreement with other great minds in the literary world.
      Thanks for sharing that and for joining me over here today.

  5. J Wilson says:

    Wow. I just discovered today why I love swords so much. I’ve never thought much about it, and always just assumed it’s because they are mainstays of fantasy, but you are right — they are so much more because of what they symbolize.   

  6. Kaci says:

    Lovely post. 

  7. This is absolutely brilliant, and the kind of post I hope for from a blog. Thanks so much for putting words to this concept. I never would have thunk it up. 

    I’m going to go sharpen my sword now. 

  8. Lauren says:

    Wow! Great post. I’d never thought about swords this way before. Posts like this are why I love this blog!

What do you think?