My son and I went to see American Sniper with a group of band of brothers and wow what an incredible move! Not only will this movie stick with you for a while afterwards, it’s an important film portraying a true war hero that people should see. I am not on the panel for Oscar nominations or a well known movie reviewer, but American Sniper is absolutely deserving of any and all award recognition. Also, it’s a film that isn’t merely a war movie – it’s a story of courage, conviction, brotherhood and caring.

I won’t give away any spoilers but it was the first time I’ve ever experienced a silence so overpowering you could hear a pin drop at the conclusion of the film. The movie was powerful and the ending created an emotional pause as the credits flew by without the typical music — the audience was stunned to silence. Iv’e always had the utmost honor, gratitude and respect for those who serve our country but with this movie I could feel it in my heart and I could I feel it in my chest!

So, what does this have to do with sheepdogs and hashtags?

Great question, but before we dive into that here is a synopsis of American Sniper:

U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the SEAL creed to “leave no man behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya Renae Kyle, and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind. [Warner Bros.]

The movie opens with Chris Kyle’s first tour of duty in Fallujah in a scene that looks like a post-war dystopia. As a sniper, he is positioned on a rooftop providing protection to US military troop movement when all of a sudden he spots a man with a cell phone looking like he’s reporting troop movements. Just as Chris gets the green light to engage, the man disappears and a woman and a kid come out of the house. He notices that the woman is definitely carrying something and pulls out a grenade and hands it to the kids as they are walking towards the troops.

There is so much I could share about this epic film, but the part that really moved me was the table scene right after we see him and his Dad hunting where the Kyle boys are taught Kyle family values. Its gritty and tough, but it really hit home.

As the scene goes tense we hear, “Green light. Your call,” as Chris has a flashback with his father back in Texas. They’re deer hunting and Chris takes a perfect shot the very first time. “A fine shot. You’ve got a hell of a gift,” says Dad. Both Kyle boys are taught Kyle family values, like the difference between a sheep, wolf and a sheepdog. Sheep are weak. Wolves are aggressors. Sheepdogs are the ones who protect others from the wolves… a lesson Chris takes to heart from a young age. Chris and his brother want to be cowboys and they spend most weekends on the rodeo circuit. But when they watch the 1998 attack of the US Embassy on TV, Chris knows as a sheepdog, he needs to fight for his country.

As we watch world events locally, nationally and globally there is evil in the world and so many people lulled by this politically-correct post-modern progressive culture cower in face of this evil. We far too often choose the cowardly and self-preservationist path by throwing up pictures of hashtags on our social media pages thinking that somehow this will keep evil at bay.

Am I referring to evil in the world such as crime, terrorism, [fill in the blank]? Yes! Am I referring to the assault on the family and Christian values? Yes! Am I referring to the spiritual warfare being waged against us every day? Yes!

There is evil everywhere and the enemy is coming in like a raging flood.

Some of this evil is held at bay by the brave men and women who join the military to protect this country, but men, we have that same responsibility in protecting our family and loved ones every day.

We all know that awesome narrative in Isaiah 59:19 that says, when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Right? Or even more to the point, the first part of the Message translation of this narrative; God looked and saw evil looming on the horizon — so much evil and no sign of Justice. He couldn’t believe what he saw: not a soul around to correct this awful situation.

Men, step up and be part of that standard!

Edmund Burke gets to the core of this, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” This is a powerful truth, but what you do in the face of evil determines whether you’re a good man or not. You can talk the talk and even walk the walk but it takes far more courage and strength to do the right thing in spite of personal risk.

The next time you’re yelling at the TV or tweeting about some evil in the world, ask yourself what you would truly sacrifice to be the standard that rises up against it? If the answer is little more than words or hashtags on social media – if you’re not willing to sacrifice your own self-interest to do what’s right – you’re not helping, you’re just feeding your self-centered ego. You’re a sheep.

Seriously men, its time to start dealing with being a coward once and for all and become a sheepdog! The world is filled with an overpopulation of sheep and wolves. The world needs need more sheepdogs!

Check out this call for sheepdogs in this excerpt from the book ‘On Combat’ by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. “Then there are the wolves,” the old war veteran said, “and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy.” Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial. “Then there are sheepdogs,” he went on, “and I’m a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.”

So what’s the first step in becoming a sheepdog?

To have the courage to step up and deciding to become one, but don’t take this decision lightly. When you decide to become a sheepdog, you’re also deciding to protect your family, to put others first, to run to danger when others flee, and to stand up for whats right despite the cost.

Erwin McManus describes courage as as not being the absence of fear but the absence of self. Here are some attributes of courage from Kris Vallotton to get you started:

1) Courage refuses to give up long after everyone else has gone home.

2) When people insist they can’t change, courage says, “you’re better than that”.

3) Courage refuses to take the temperature of the crowd to determine which virtues are in vogue.

4) Courage falls down but it gets back up, when it looses a battle it contents for a victory, when it’s locked in a prison, it’s freed by an earthquake.

5) Drag courage into a cold dark alley and leave it for dead; it will strike a match and set the world on fire.

6) Courage doesn’t cower in the face of public opinion, or waver when the world waffles.

7) When the voice of reason stutters and common sense stammers; courage utters a clear, clarion call.

8) When vicious voices shout courage down, it only makes it more determined to stand straight up.

9) If you oppress courage, it multiplies, if you pound it into a puddle, it becomes a river of life, if you pull it back, it intensifies the velocity of hope.

10) When fear says, “dim the lights,” courage says, “arise and shine”.

11) When life leaves the beaten path, courage enjoys the journey.

12) Sometimes courage doesn’t roar but it’s the quiet voice at the end of the night that says, “we will try again tomorrow”. Many people have never experienced supernatural courage because they’ve never breached the boarders of their own fear.

As a man, a husband, a dad…what’s it going to be when it comes to your family and those you love?

Before you decide let me leave you with these awesome words of encouragement that William J. Bennett gave in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy on November 24, 1997, “Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for?”

Are you ready to accept the responsibilities and risks, and the consequences that come with becoming a sheepdog or will you play it safe behind a hashtag?