300
03-28-2007
by Johann Snyder

Gather and listen to this tale of 300. It is a tale of treachery, slavery, and evil. It is also a tale of freedom, nobility, honor, courage and passionate love. I warn you however, that it is not a tale for everyone. Freedom always costs a price; and often that price is paid in blood on the horrors of a battlefield. Yet for those who are bold enough, for those who dare, you will find inspiration in the tale of 300; and you will experience a tale unlike any you have ever heard or seen before.

Sometimes history is lost in the fog of time. Other times, it is obscured by the mists of myth and legend. The tale of 300 is a tale of the latter. In an age where men were proud to be men and women proud to be women, an age where ideals such as honor, courage, freedom and justice reigned; there lived a king named Leonidas. As a Spartan, Leonidas was bred for war and born to lead. His kingdom was one of beauty and freedom, but it was a kingdom threatened by another king; a man who deemed himself a god - a god whose sole desire was to see the entire world in submission to him. Though he offered Leonidas all he could dream of - riches, power, fame - Leonidas would not kneel, would not submit. To the Spartan king; freedom, righteousness and justice were far more important - important enough to live for, and important enough to die for. With cunning and courage, Leonidas lead 300 of the finest warriors in all of Sparta to face the great evil of the army of the man-god Xerxes; and on a field soaked with blood; those men gave their lives standing for what they believed in rather than die in submission to a lie. Was it courage or madness that drove Leonidas to such measures, even breaking Spartan law in order to defend what he believed in; that dear listeners, I leave to you to judge for yourselves.

What, you ask, could stand in the face of such nobility and honor? What could triumph against such love and courage? As always, vile treachery and betrayal most foul proved to be the undoing of Leonidas and his 300, and thwarted the efforts of his queen...but victory by such means never lasts. How then, does this tale end? That you must discover for yourself.

"But I've heard this tale before," you say. "I've heard this tale of bravehearts and gladiators, of bold speeches and brutal battles, of fights for freedom and love and they are all the same." But I say they are not the same. This tale of 300 is told with such heart and aggression, with such ferocity it will feel as fresh and familiar as the dawn; with a beauty and splendor never seen before. What's more, it points to yet another tale of courage and sacrifice. A mere five hundred years later, another man lay down his life for freedom and righteousness. Yet for him, the battle did not end in death; it began. Even better, you are called to be a part of that battle. You can be one of the brave men and women, like those of Sparta, who stand for good and right. You can help save others and give them freedom; not just for day or an era, but for all eternity. Yes, you dear listener, can be apart of a tale more noble and epic than even that of 300.

Righteousness asks you stand. Temptation demands that you kneel. One will ask of you all you have, the other will cost you everything you posses. Learn this lesson well, for one day you will face a battle of your own, and like Leonidas and his 300, you will face a choice. It may seem wise to kneel in the face of insurmountable odds, to give in where there seems to be no other option; but that is the coward's way out. Doing what is right, what is just, what is noble and what is honorable is never easy, but for those who choose this righteous path there awaits everlasting glory and honor in the hall of the true King of Kings. So watch, those of you who are not faint of heart, and be inspired by the tale of 300. Then, when your hearts are aflame with inspiration and passion, learn of the true nature of the battle we all face, the true battle between good and evil, between what is right and what is evil, the battle between He who is righteous and the great tempter and deceiver. This is the battle you are called to; this is the war of which you can be apart. 300 is epic and powerful, but it is merely a passing tale. The Bible holds a tale of a battle that forever altered eternity, and paved the way for you to be apart of it. Now is your time; be apart of the tale.