"No Better Place"
By the time For the Sake of the Call reaches its final movement, the album has already made its vision of Christianity unmistakably clear. This is a costly discipleship. Obedience is demanding. Faithfulness will involve suffering, endurance, and visibility. What remains is the question that always follows such a vision. Is this life actually worth it. The album does not rush to answer that question. Instead, it lingers on the cost a little longer. When You Are a Soldier frames discipleship in the language of battle, but notably, not in the language of heroism. The soldier here is not triumphant or self sufficient. He is tired, wounded, afraid, and close to collapse. What makes the song striking is that the emphasis does not fall on the soldier’s resolve, but on God’s nearness. “I will be your shield.” “I will go with you into the battlefield.” “I will carry you until you’re strong.” This is not a call to grit your teeth and endure alone. It is a promise of accompaniment. The song a...
