In one of my favorite movies, The Last Samurai, the character Nathen Aldren is a retired American soldier from the 1800’s, who gets hired to train an army to fight rebel samurai warriors in Japan. He travels to Tokyo, gets captured by the enemy and eventually does an about-face to join the samurai’s cause himself. In the last battle scene, he and Katsumoto, the samurai leader, travel to meet their enemy head-on, and are massively outnumbered by the Imperial Japanese Army. In their final effort to save their beloved village from destruction, they charge their enemy, and every soldier loses their life except Captain Aldren (hence, the movie’s title).
- He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3)
- Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deut. 31:6)
- Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven (Matthew 5:11-12
- Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. (Eph 3:20)