“The Dance” [Reflections on Sun Tsu's Art Of War #11 – 19A-2] (Revelation 21:5; Romans 12:21; Ephesians 3:10; John 3:17)

The dance begins about this point in tome –
First halting steps no doubt from Kingdom home;
Or, in the earth’s domain, the wars of man
Would be about the same, for any land.

For “Adaptation” is the word that’s used;
More “Interactive” now, which I confused
With “Duplicated” text – but not so now,
For now Sun Tsu adds motion in somehow.

He seems to use three factors in his thought,
But more than “Mix-and-match”, says “Motion ought
To now be added in, lest it to be thought
That enemies don’t also this way walk.

So interaction with the foe’s the way
The factors up ’till now come into play;
But actually, that’s where most folks start out,
Without a thought to what they are about.

For “Fighting”, to a layman is just force
Which meets with force, resisting it, of course;
Or else augmenting it as judo does,
And turning force against itself because –

There’s no resistance, so it goes too far –
Just flies on by without the halting jar;
Whichever way, most amateurs just shove
And push opponent ’round – or show their love –

With just as much attention to their acts
As fighters of the world – ignore the facts,
And thinks that “Might makes right”, so victory
Is to the strongest – little else they see.

Sun Tzu says, more than all that’s gone before,
There’s “Interactions”, signifying more;
To which, O Lord, you’d add, “That goes for love,
Regardless of what other person does”.

The first component Sun Tsu views is “Land” –
Nine types, he’s taught, can help you make a stand
Or move against opponents – victory
Thus helped along by type of land you see.

But that’s the point – the other General
Is watching land he’s in, and theirs as well –
How it could help his chance to win the day
If you don’t see what he sees as a way?

So it’s a dance – two Generals compete;
View land as a component when they meet;
Think for themselves, and also as their foe,
Anticipating how the other one might go.

The second factor raised is “Forward-back”,
And which is best? Retreat, or now attack?
But once again these factors, viewed before,
Are now considered “Dancing-ly” – as more.

Anticipating forward-back of foe;
Out-thinking which way enemy will go;
Has added twist of long-term strategy,
Mixed in with short-term tactics there might be –

For both sides, so the dance more complex is,
As two opponents go about their biz
Of winning battles – in a larger war;
More “Interactive” now than seen before.

The third component Sun Tsu raises now,
Is human thought, emotions, in the row;
For both the armies and their officers
Are human beings in a pot that stirs.

Not just the psycho-factors of terrain,
Or rank-and-file reactions, in the main,
To leaders, orders, discipline, and such,
But to emergence of what most call, “Luck”

Mix that with fact, the other side as well
Engages with this aspect in the hell
Of warfare once the fighting starts – surprise
For either side might signal one’s demise.

And then Sun Tzu says – “Add in all the rest –
You get the point; just three are here addressed –
But all the factors looked at since the first,
Are in the mix for both once fighting bursts –

“Upon the scene, and two sides then engage;
Those factors all rise up from written page,
And spring to life, omitted ones as well –
For both sides, as they raise a little hell”.

Lord, as I stand back now and hear Sun Tsu,
Who says, “You’d better think, or you will lose”,
I’m thinking of all this and what You do,
Inviting us to come and work with You.

Except Your way of doing this is “Love”,
From Kingdom-layer – not Satan’s “Push and shove”;
Your focus is on evil – saving folks,
Not wiping out the people, Satan’s blokes.

I like the way Sun Tsu starts out with three,
Then urges us to check around and see
How other factors written of before,
Mix interactively, for so much more.

This week I had a chance to view again
My opening months within this town (a pain) –
But here I’m helped to take another lens,
And view once more the message that it sends.

I viewed it as “Participant on earth”;
Sure, one who’d moved from first to second birth,
Relying on Your grace to see me through –
But this perspective, now “Makes all things new”.

Thanks Lord for this.

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