Meet one of my mentors in Christ – Ken “Sly” Fox, my boss at the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing. The image here is Ken climbing into his F-15 Eagle – the world’s legacy fighter jet.
Sly is a fighter pilot you do not want to be flying against, lest your own “Goose” get cooked.
As a new lieutenant in the fighter wing, I had heard about him, and gave him a wide berth. Honestly, I was kind’ve afraid of him.
Then one day he walked up to me and said “I want you to come to work for me.” Yikes….
I felt like I was in over my head, but man, it was oh-so rewarding to be there. I got to watch and learn from a fighter pilot’s fighter pilot – that was a fantastic benefit all by itself.
But beyond the jet, I lived alongside him on the ground – dealing with people, with the challenges and the not-very-small egos that accompany a bunch of testosterone-saturated 20 and 30 year-old fighter pilots.
Working alongside Ken I was able to observe how, with grace, he was a disciple-maker, a bondservant of Christ.
I got to watch Sly wrestle with complex policy, warfighting and managerial issues. From dogfighting to the messy human relations stuff – and and observing him galvanized my own understanding of the calling and excellence of a disciple’s work life.
Off hours I watched Ken loving his bride Jean, with delight and joy, how he handled his teenage kids, and being around him in the usual messes and frazzled moments that come with being a believer.
I now realize many of my spiritual reflexes were formed and honed by the guy that the F-15 community calls “Sly”.
Ken’s discipling was just like the Apostle Paul: alongside, up close, personal. He created a culture – the “atmosphere” to go out like him and make disciples.
That’s what all disciples fundamentally do – invite people of all types, believers or not, older, younger, smarter, or not-so-much – to come along with them to check out who this Christ is.
Why am I telling you about Sly?
So you’d ask yourself “Do I have anyone like that?” “Does my Christian community offer anyone like Sly for my own development in Christ?”
You don’t have to be the Messiah, or a world-renowned fighter pilot to be a good disciple.
But every disciple is called to live life alongside a few other people – all through our lives. So, whether you’re a pastor, parent, plumber or pilot, you’re called to be a disciple, and to make disciples. “Make” literally means to “progress as disciples”. This discipling thing isn’t an optional gig. Nor is it perfection-first then get started, or a job reserved for the amazing few.
Team up with others, run the race set before you to invite people to “Come with me.”
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 28.19 (ESV)
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