The basic story of Dunkirk is well-know, but I picked up a few things I hadn’t know in the coverage, especially concerning the wider war-time role of Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay, who masterminded the operation.

Last week marked the 80th Anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation. Operation Dynamo saw the evacuation of 380,000 British and allied troops from the beaches after the catastrophe of the German offensive in France. This was a remarkable success far exceeding expectations, since it was initially though that 50,000 might be able to be repatriated. While hardly a victory, Dunkirk enabled Britain to stand alone and continue to resist Hitler.

The basic story of Dunkirk is well-know, but I picked up a few things I hadn’t know in the coverage, especially concerning the wider war-time role of Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay, who masterminded the operation.

There are a number off lessons that we can take from the “miracle” of Dunkirk that are relevant to our gospel mission today.

1 Younger is Not Necessarily Better

I had not realised that Vice-Admiral Ramsay had retired from the Navy in 1937, partly as a result of disagreement with his superiors. He was persuaded to come out of retirement by Churchill, and subsequently played a crucial role in the war. His skills and experience proved invaluable.

We live in a culture that tends to privilege youth and freshness over age and experience. Ramsay is a reminder to us that we should not write people off simply because of their age, or because they have challenged the status quo. There may be those in our churches that have been sidelined or pushed out because of their opinions, yet whom it would be good to encourage to come out of retirement and rejoin the gospel war effort.

2 Prayer Goes Hand in Hand With Planning

It is often said that the “miracle” of Dunkirk was a result of prayer. King George VI called a National Day of Prayer on 26th May as the BEF was being beaten back to the beaches. No doubt, these prayers were answered by the remarkable evacuation. Still, it ought not to be forgotten that the success of the evacuation was also a result of the meticulous planning that took place in the tunnels beneath Dover Castle under the leadership of Admiral Ramsay. They managed to plan the entire complex operation in a mere seven days, accomplishing a logistical miracle to lift the troops off the beaches. Without this planning, the operation would never have been a success.

It is a false antithesis to set prayer against planning in gospel ministry, and yet so often Christian are tempted to do so. We see this balance in the ministry of Paul, who planed his evangelistic journeys and however covered them in prayer and submitted himself to the sovereign will of God.

It is presumptuous to both think that great things can be accomplished for God by planning without prayer, or equally by prayer without planning. Both are just as flawed in spiritual warfare. We need the balance reflected in James 4v13-17 and 5v13-16. We need plans that are humbly submitted to the sovereign will of God, combined with prayers of faith.

3. A strategic Retreat is Often Essential to Eventual Victory

Dunkirk was not so much a defeat, but a strategic withdrawal in the face of imminent defeat. It would no doubt have been possible to fight the Germans to the last man on the beach, but that would have lost the war. The withdrawal of so many men was a prerequisite to ultimate victory. Although vast quantities of equipment were left behind, the rescue of the army made a German invasion of Britain in 1940 almost impossible. In the 1970s some surviving British and German officers participated in a war game to see if a successful invasion could have been achieved. The outcome was that the Germans could have established a bridgehead, but that the British lines of defence would have stopped them advancing, and that the navy would have prevented them being resupplied. The manpower available as a result of Dunkirk would have saved the day.

The escape from Dunkirk is a reminder that sometimes the goal of ultimate victory requires a strategic withdrawal so as to regroup and fight another day. In some ways, this is the situation we face in the secular West. For the better part of sixty years, Christians have fought a rearguard action against secularism and the collapse of Christian culture, and we now find ourselves an overwhelmed minority with little power or influence, and our troops in danger of capitulation to the seemingly invincible liberal agendas. We stand little chance of turning the tide by simply fighting the same old battles to the death, noble as that might be. We need to withdraw from some battles, regroup and re-equip so that we can triumph in the future. In many ways this is the essence of the “Benedict Option” proposed by Rob Dreher. This is not a call to surrender, but to regroup and establish firm foundations in the church to resist the onslaught and fight back when the opportunity comes. There is much wisdom in this.

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