
Christian History Home > Issue 40 > Why You Should Crusade

Why You Should Crusade
Bernard of Clairvaux, who wrote the beautiful essay On Loving God, also urged Christians to fight for Christ. Here are some excerpts from a letter written in 1147.
posted 10/01/1993 12:00AM
The earth has been shaken and has trembled, because the Lord has caused his land to lose territory. His land, I repeat, where he was seen and in which he lived among men for more than thirty years. His land, which he honored by his birth, embellished by his miracles, consecrated with his blood, and enriched by his bruial. His land, in which the voice of the turtledove was heard when the son of the Virgin praised the life of chastity. His land, where the first flowers of his Resurrection appeared.
Evil men have begun to occupy this land of the new promise, and unless someone resists them, they will be feasting their eyes upon the sanctuary of our religion and will try to stain that very bed, on which for our sake slept our life in death; they will profane the Holy Places—the places, I say, purpled with the blood of the immaculate Lamb.
I have something else to say which ought to move a Christian man’s heart, however hard it is. Our king [Jesus] is accused of treachery; it is said of him [by ... To view this item, you must be a member of ChristianHistory.net.
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