Harvesting History

Christmas is a time when we think of all those families that military service keeps apart, or of those families lucky enough to be together today, but in an atmosphere heavy with anxiety, because one key member will soon be once again in harm’s way.
It’s also a time to talk about faith. I know religious education turns off a lot of people to religion. I was raised without it, so I’m lucky in a way. I’m hungry for spirituality, if not organized religion, and I say prayers every day watching the sun rise, thankful for another day on earth.
I see Jesus as a fighter and an organizer, a man who embodied thoughtfulness and sacrifice. I know that a similar spirit motivates a lot of people who join the service, along with a desire to challenge themselves, test their limits.
All good.
I’d like to make sure those urges, those gifts keep paying off for humanity.
Today’s military faces enemies who aren’t just ready to die; they want to die. They hijack planes not for ransom, but as kamikaze weapons. They take hostages, as they just did in Mumbai, not as bargaining chips but as PR tools to be slaughtered.
So how do we respond?
To my mind, this is a time when words are as important as weapons, when we have to reach out to remove the conditions that drive young people into the arms of killer fanatics, whether their potential recruits are miserable and starving or they’re just empathizing with those who hunger.
Some leaders argue that certain folks are just evil, beyond redemption. I think Jesus would disagree.
That doesn’t mean we allow anyone to hurt others, or to attack us.
It does mean that, without dropping our guard, we use our economic might and genius to lessen suffering everywhere; that we try to see whether many, if not all, potential enemies will respond when we present to them vibrant alternatives to violence.
It means that we honor, salute and celebrate our awesome fighting forces in peacetime as well as in conflict. We look for ways to use the leadership and teamwork skills, the technical expertise and fierce determination that veterans have developed in the Service, encouraging them to spearhead peacetime initiatives at home and abroad that will make us all safer.
What was it they said about General Washington? First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen. Not a bad ambition….
And to honor Jesus on his birthday, we might remember that he revered lines from the Old Testament: love thy neighbor as thyself. And I try to always remember this, again from the Old Testament (Micah): Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God…