DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Based on your reading and any additional necessary research of leaders in the world wars, how does leadership look different in the context of wartime decision-making?
1. Discussion Thread: You will have to post and respond to a discussion prompt based on
your reading and additional research as needed.
2. Discussion Thread: You will have to pose a question from your research and reading that
your peer will have to answer in their reply. This question should stem from the material
that you have posted in your discussion thread. The question you pose should be an
analytical and/or applied question. It should not be overly simplistic nor should there be
an easy/right/wrong answer to the question. Instead, the question should be geared to
your discussion thread topic/post and it should challenge your peers toward deeper
reflection and thought.
3. Discussion Replies: You will have to reply to two peers posts, by answering their
questions. While it is not required, I would recommend reviewing the answers posed to
your question and continuing the interchange between you and your peers. When you
reply to your peers, please make sure to reply first to those who have no replies before
replying to those who already have several replies.
Your thread should be at least 350 words in length; your concluding question can be as succinct
as you need it to be. Lastly, your replies to these questions should be at least 300 words in length.
If the reply requires additional research before you write your reflect then make sure you do so.
References
Killjoys: The seven Deadly Sins By: Marshall Segal (Read Chapter 3)
http://document.desiringgod.org/killjoys-en.pdf?1446647675
Robert Taylor on Leadership (Video Transcript):
Robert Preston Taylor, young man, grew up in Texas, had saved at the age of 14, worked on a farm. Parents were farmers, grew up in a good church. Not long after his salvation, he felt called to the ministry, called the preach, and he went to Baylor. Later to Southwestern, received the master since theology and a Doctor of Theology, but began to pastor a church for just a short time, about a year, I believe, and Southwest South Fort Worth Baptist Church. And he felt this urge to chaplaincy course, the war was going on. This is back around 940. And he felt called the chaplaincy and he became a chaplain in the Army Air Corps and began to serve their Barksdale Air Force Base in Texas, but volunteered shortly thereafter to do a one-year ministry opportunity in the Philippines. He wasnt in the Philippines, but a short time and a declaration of war called for the unit he was serving in battalion to be moved to the baton Peninsula. And as you may remember, World War II history, that wasnt a good time for the American military. We ended up waving the white flag and surrendering. And Chaplin tailor, a First Lieutenant. This a young man, was taken prisoner along with thousands of other American soldiers. But he served faithfully in the prison camps and actually was able to minister to 10 thousand, about 10 thousand patients suffering affliction. But eventually he was caught smuggling medicine and food to the prisoners. Dying by the hundreds. But he was caught. And they put him in the hotbox. Five feet long, four feet tall, out in the sun. And the conditions were horrendous. As you might imagine. Pretty large man, over 200 pounds in 14 weeks later, when he finally got the HA, hotbox, he was in a coma. And around 90 pounds, less than a 100 pounds, they thought he would die. But God preserved his life. And within a matter of weeks he got back on its feet. And a short time later he found himself challenging the leadership of the camp where he was this prison camp, to allow him to lead. Once again because theyd stopped worship a worship service. And when he stands up to lead the worship service, the soldiers there. So chaplain, whats the word of the day? And thats pretty common for chaplains. The give a word of the day and theyre waiting. Why do you have to say? Because theres
so much bitterness, bitterness, theres so much really hatred against these guards. And he said this. He said, when in the darkness, do not doubt which you believed in the light. You know, Robert Preston Taylor went on to receive a bronze star in a silver star. In fact, he went on the ranks after World War Two and became a two-star general. Brigadier General, Chief of Chaplins of the air forced the number. The third chief, a chaplains of the US Air Force. And so as an Air Force retired chaplain NOW, Robert Preston Taylors always one of my heroes. And it wasnt because he was a two-star general. It, it wasnt because he was a prisoner of war. But it because he was a chaplain of light. We read in Matthew, Jesus tells us You are the light of the world. God did a special work and Robert Preston Taylors life when he saved him, when he grew him in his character. But to the point when he got out of the prison cell, out of the hot box for you almost died. Chaplain, do you have a word of the day? When in the darkness? Dont doubt what you believed in the light. Those words have echoed in my mind over the years from the first time Ive heard them and learned about. Chaplin pressed and Taylor. God calls us all that kind of leadership. He calls us to be leaders of the light, the light of Christ. As we read a little bit deeper about Robert Preston Taylor, he read the Bible, they allowed him to have a Bible in that hotbox and he read the Bible dozens of times over that 14 weeks. Wasnt by accident, that he had the light of Christ. It wasnt by accident. He could survive a very near-death experience and come out and still praise the God of light. Thy word is light into my feet, a lamp unto my path. Anybody needed the light of Christ is shown through the word of God. It was Robert Preston Thaler. If were going to lead for the Lord Jesus Christ, and whatever venue of life God calls us to. Whether its a chaplain, whether its in a business world, wherever it is. If were going to lead, well, we must lead with the light of Christ and never doubt in the darkness what God has revealed to us in the light. Robert Preston Taylor got out of that military camp and was sent to the hell ships that you may remember from your history as well. And while theyre trying to minister the prisoners of war as a chaplain, the hell ships were bombed. Unfortunately by Americans. He was wounded. And once again, he lives, survived. It seemed like one trial after another, but he, after the hell ships, Hey sis, plant in the darkness. Never doubt what you believe than the light. But finally, he got home to his lovely wife. I own a who he had not seen for four years. Comes on ship underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. And there she is waiting for him. When he comes down the plank. Now the ship, he reaches out his arms and he tries to embrace her. And she did not return the Embrace. He looked at her and he says, Whats going on. She says, Im sorry, I thought you were dead. And I got married a month ago to another man. Imagine, hell, I wasnt enough to be in the hotbox. It well Hudson half almost die wasnt enough to be on the algebra. And now you finally get home to your wife. And shes married to another man, Robert Preston Taylor. Another dark moment in this life. Maybe the most severe because relationships with a wife, the deepest relationship other than that with Jesus Christ was over. Robert Preston Taylor seeking to live in the light within the darkness. Never forget what you believed in the light. He went on to serve the Lord. Jesus Christ might lean, as I said, went on to be the chief of Chaplins of the Air Force, the hero of all Air Force chaplains. But it wasnt because he was a general. It was its for really for any other reason. He says Such a great example of what it means to be a leader. For truly going to be a leader. A leader for Jesus Christ. We must never doubt in the darkness what we believed in the light. Live that example for the glory of God and lead well.
The General By: Winston Groom (Read Chapter 1-7):