The American Legion Department of Tennessee

IMPACThought of the Week: Calling for Statesmen
by Chaplain Jon Shonebarger

There are some verses in Scripture that read like they were written for our exact moment in history.

In an age of raised voices, quick tempers, and political trench warfare, the Apostle Paul’s words land with both conviction and clarity:
“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

Notice what Paul does here. He doesn’t call us to win arguments. He doesn’t command us to dominate the public square. He
doesn’t tell us to divide the world into “our side” and “their side.” Instead, he calls us to do something far more difficult — and far
more Christlike. He calls us to peace.

Peace doesn’t mean surrendering our convictions. It means refusing to surrender our character.

Somewhere along the way, our culture began confusing volume with strength and hostility with leadership. We traded statesmanship
for showmanship, dialogue for diatribe, and mutual respect for mutual suspicion. But the heartbeat of a healthy society has never
been partisan victory. It has always been the ability of neighbors — even those who disagree — to live together with dignity, humility,
and goodwill.

Civility is not weakness. It is wisdom. Dialogue should not be equated with compromise. It is courage. Mutual respect is not naiveté.
It is necessary.

We need leaders who understand this. Leaders who can sit at a table with people they disagree with and still see the image of God
across from them. Leaders who refuse to demonize, dehumanize, or divide. Leaders who know that the loudest person in the room
are rarely the one who brings the most light.

In short, we need statesmen again.

Statesmen don’t inflame tensions; they calm them. They don’t weaponize differences; they bridge them. They don’t tear down
opponents; they build up communities.

And truthfully, we don’t have to wait for elected officials to model this. Peace begins at the street level — in our neighborhoods,
churches, workplaces, and conversations. It begins when we choose patience over provocation, listening over labeling, and
understanding over assumption.

Living peaceably with all men means loving the neighbor who votes differently, worships differently, or sees the world through a
different lens. It means remembering that unity is not uniformity; it is the shared commitment to treat one another with honor, dignity
and respect, even when we disagree.

Paul’s challenge is personal: “as much as lieth in you.” In other words, peace starts with the part you can control — your tone, your
posture, your words, your willingness to build a bridge instead of a barrier.

This week, may we be people who carry peace into divided spaces. May we speak with grace, stand with conviction, and walk with
humility. And may we show our communities — and our country — that living peaceably is not only possible, but powerful.
Because when we choose peace, we look a little more like “The One” who called us to it. May God bless you and our nation.

Pro Deo et Patria!
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IMPACThought of the Week: Battle Scars
by Chaplain Jon T. Shonebarger

The aged apostle was battle scared.

Over the course of his lengthy missionary journeys, he had been met with critical opposition. A testimony of his troublesome
trials was revealed in his second epistle to the Corinthian church, in the eleventh chapter. The gospel ministry was the utmost
priority of his life, and his mission would not be deterred. He had to put on his spiritual armor every day.

In his letter to the church, Paul intimated that he had experienced brutal whippings, incarceration, beatings, stoning, shipwreck,
a night and a day in the sea, robbery, betrayal by his countrymen, and threatening from strangers. In addition, he struggled
with weariness of heart, sleeplessness and pain. Ofttimes, he lacked food and water. There had also been numerous nights that
the clothes that he wore hadn’t kept him warm.

Throughout the perpetual physical, emotional and spiritual confrontations, the burden for the churches he planted persisted
within his heart. He would not be able to be present to provide wise, pastoral care.

For the reader of this Holy Spirit inspired script, the text was clear; this servant of God demonstrated exemplary grit and
resolve. Every hinderance revealed his fortitude and inner strength. He absolutely refused to yield to the enemies of the Cross.
Paul would not quit! He overcame every obstacle by faith. His scars were visible testimonies of perservering everyday. 

While the milestones were noteworthy in his struggle against nature, enemies and himself, Paul confessed that his infirmities
were the most significant factor in his victorious fight for the gospel. Paul testified, “If I must needs glory, I will glory of the
things which concern mine infirmities” (II Corinthians 11:30).

This is a spiritual paradox! Amidst his victory over every challenge, he admitted that his infirmities were paramount to his
success, and not a cause for potential failure. No, it wasn’t Paul who should be exhalated in victory, it was God!

Paul was spiritually converted to Christianity and radically transformed on the Damascus Road. Jesus Christ offered Paul
forgiveness of his sin and the free gift of salvation, by grace, through faith in His finished work on Calvary’s Cross. Paul had
become a dynamic Christian.

Indeed, the mighty man of God was fully cognizant of his weaknesses. His self-awareness revealed the areas where he lacked
emotional, physical and spiritual strength. He faced the truth that he was a man guilty of committing the sins of omission (not
doing what you should) and the sins of commission (doing what you shouldn’t). He wrote about this in the book of Romans,
(chapter 7:18-19).

Paul battled against the temptations of his flesh every day of his life, like any other individual. The apostle leaned upon the
mighty arm of his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Christ was his all-sufficient Lord. Success was guaranteed when Paul’s frailty
yielded completely to the mighty grace of God.

It was here, in his infirmities, that Paul would prefer to glory. His infirmities revealed the grace of God at work, that enabled him
to persevere and prevail. When Paul was at his weakest, Christ’s grace was the strongest. Furthermore, Christ’s strength was all
Paul needed. Paul’s yearned to magnify the greatness of Almighty God.

As we go forth in our journey, fulfilling God’s purpose in our life, let us glory in our infirmities. Let us acknowledge that we
cannot overcome the battles along the way in our own strength, but solely with the grace of God sustaining us. God’s grace is
sufficient; it is everything we need to overcome every mountain and to slay every dragon. God’s grace provides strength,
wisdom and encouragement. We are weak, but God is strong!

Let us go forth boldly, glorying in our weaknesses! Our scars reflect our perseverance and faith. Let our weaknesses serve as
ongoing reminders of our reliance on grace.
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IMPACThought of the Week: One of One
By Chaplain Jon Shonebarger

There’s a phrase that’s been echoing in my mind lately: “one of one.” In a world that loves categories, labels, and mass production,
that simple idea feels almost rebellious. But it’s true. You are not one of many. You are not a copy, a clone, or a repeat. You are one
of one; a singular creation with a Godbreathed identity that has never existed before and will never exist again.

We forget that sometimes. Life has a way of sanding down our edges, pushing us toward sameness, urging us to blend in. From
childhood on, we learn how to fit the mold, how to keep the peace, how to be what others expect. But the God who formed galaxies
with variety and painted every sunrise differently did not design you to be a photocopy.

David understood this when he wrote, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” He wasn’t boasting. He was
acknowledging a truth we often overlook; God’s craftsmanship is intentional. His fingerprints are on your personality, your gifts, your
quirks, your passions, your story. None of it is accidental. You are not the result of leftover parts or random assembly. You are the
result of divine artistry.

History gives us a helpful reminder of this. When Michelangelo carved his famous statue of David, he didn’t start with a perfect block
of marble. In fact, the stone had been rejected by other sculptors for being too narrow, too flawed, too difficult to work with! It sat
untouched for decades. But Michelangelo saw something others didn’t. He saw potential. He saw possibility. He saw a masterpiece
waiting to be revealed. And today, that statue is considered one of the greatest works of art in human history.

If a human artist can see beauty in what others dismiss, how much more can the Creator of the universe see in you?
Being “one of one” doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being authentic. It means refusing to trade your Godgiven identity for
someone else’s approval. It means recognizing that your voice matters, your presence matters, your life matters; not because you’re
trying to be impressive, but because you’re irreplaceable.

Think about that. If you don’t live your life as you, no one else can step in and do it for you. Your perspective, your compassion, your
humor, your resilience; they are part of the world’s needed inventory. When you hide who you are, the world loses something it was
meant to have.

And here’s the irony: the more we try to blend in, the more we lose the very thing that makes us valuable. God didn’t call you to be a
secondrate version of someone else. He called you to be the firstrate version of the person He designed: the one of one.
So, here’s the challenge this week: Stop apologizing for being different. Stop shrinking to make others comfortable. Stop trying to be
a copy when God created you as an original.

Lean into the truth that God made you distinct on purpose. Live boldly as the “one of one” He designed. Because the world doesn’t
need more copies. It needs originals. It needs you.