Invictus!
Oh dearie me! ‘Twas such a good idea too! And the historic roots to the Invictus poem take us right back to an author in the 1800s who was an amputee. So then, why not a special games event for handicapped people from the services? And why not call them the Invictus Games?
I hate being a wet-blanket and I do want to applaud what Prince Harry has accomplished with handicapped soldiers. However, I find Invictus messes with my Christian convictions.
Before I say any more let me introduce you to the poem.
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
If the organisers of the games were looking for a title that captured grit and determination, they certainly found it in the Title of this poem. The word Invictus is Latin for ‘unconquered’. And if they were looking for a model of grit and determination they certainly found it in the author of this poem. William Henley had lost a leg due to complications arising from his battle with tuberculosis. When told he would also lose the other leg he searched out distinguished English surgeon Joseph Lister who was able to save his remaining leg after multiple surgical interventions.
So what’s my beef?
Surely any Christian who reads the opening verse is going to have problems right away with the expressed scepticism about God’s existence; to say nothing about the claim to have an unconquerable soul. Really? Every soul without God perishes. That hardly sounds like ‘unconquerable’ to me.
But it’s the last verse that disturbs me most. I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul. It would be kind of neat if we could have the views of King Nebuchadnezzar on those lines. Because that was King Neb’s conviction too – until seven seasons of madness drove him to live with the animals until he acknowledged that the Lord God in heaven was the Master of his fate and the Captain of his soul.
So how do I endorse and support this event even while deploring the choice of a name for these games? With great difficulty. A more important point to consider: if I was competing and I won an event would I be willing to wear a badge that proclaimed, I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul? I doubt whether I could do that as a Christian.
On top of all that there is one other thing that bothers me. I’ve seen the pre-Games advertising and noticed how the word “I AM” dominate the logo. Those two words took on their defining historical meaning for all people with a Judaeo-Christian background when God revealed Himself to Moses as the I AM. For anyone else to claim that as a title would surely be like spitting in God’s face.
I sincerely wish the competitors at the Invictus Games a wonderful time of competitive sport. I want to say to them: Good on you for not letting your handicap stand in your way. But I also want to add that it is my prayer that someone will point out to you that you are not the master of your fate nor are you the captain of your soul. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ alone is that Master and Captain.
John Westendorp