Saint Martin's Cloak

One of the first things the Army taught me was how to use a map and compass to find my way around. On foot, a couple of the basic skills include knowing how to use a compass to "shoot an azimuth" and knowing how to use your pace-count to measure distance. All of this seemed fairly straight forward in the classroom. In practice, it was much more difficult than advertised. I first put my training into practice during a field training exercise at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The task appeared simple. The instructor handed us a sheet of paper with a list of points to be visited in order, with only a direction and distance from the previous point to guide the way. The real terrain was much more challenging than the classroom or the parking lot where we had practiced our skills. Dense underbrush, fallen trees, thick stands of pine forest, gullies, shear cliffs and other obstacles not only made it impossible to go directly from point A to point B, they often made it impossible to keep an a...

In my role as a chaplain, I sometimes work with individuals and families that have suffered some form of significant trauma, injury or disease. Some are war related; in my present job, however, most are not. Sometimes, friends or family members ask how they can best relate to people who have suffered great injuries. What follows is my inexpert opinion, based on my limited pastoral experience. I don't pretend to offer professional mental health advice. If what I suggest doesn't seem instinctively right to you, check with your own mental health adviser. Twelve Strategies for Helping Friends with Long Term Coping and Recovery 1. Meet their needs, not yours. Be in tune with the person you are trying to help. 2. Maintain a sense of separation and distance, no matter how emotionally involved you may become. Maintain your own physical and mental health. Don't be a martyr or burn yourself out. 3. Physical and emotional reactions to disfigurement are normal. Deal with your react...

Ancient Israel often suffered at the hands of the major imperial powers of its day. It's amazing, then, Israel's sacred texts portray the descendants of Jacob serving in positions of some authority and influence within these ancient empires. Among the faithful Israelites are Joseph, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah Nehemiah, Ezra, Mordecai and Esther. Each of the empires in which they served ultimately fell under God's perfect judgment. The Biblical narrative, however, also tells us how these children of Abraham served the cause of good in the service of empire. Joseph in Genesis and Exodus Sold into slavery by his brothers and unjustly imprisoned by his Egyptian masters, Joseph eventually became a senior administrator in Pharaoh's government. He enabled his master's household to prosper and later supervised Egypt's entire agricultural industry. His efforts as an officer of Pharaoh saved countless lives in during a severe famine. His work in Pharaoh...

Matthew 5:1-12 - When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. (2) He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, (3) "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (5) "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. (6) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (7) "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (8) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (9) "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (10) "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. (12) "Rejoice and be glad, for your rewar...

... for he does not bear the sword in vain ... Romans 13:4 Have you ever noticed that the root of the verb "enforce" - as used in the phrase "enforce the law" - is "force"? Law depends on the use or threat of force. All law is coercive. A law is not a suggestion or a recommendation. If you park illegally, you are fined. If you do not pay the fine, your property is confiscated or you are imprisoned. If you resist the confiscation of your property or resist your captors, the agents of the state will use whatever force is necessary to defend themselves and impose the will of the state. Even small crimes can escalate into lethal confrontations if the perpetrators will not submit. All government agencies are dependent upon the law for their existence. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education are just as dependent on the rule of law as the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice. They enforce the nation's wil...

The arrival of Holy Week reminds those of us in the profession of arms of a very sad fact: members of the armed forces were instruments in Jesus' arrest, torture and execution. It starts in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then Jesus said to the high priests, the temple police, and the elders, who had come for him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit?" Luke 22:52 That's not how it is supposed to be. Jesus' question to his arresters presupposes what we take for granted: armed forces exist to establish justice, not to harm the innocent. It is violent criminals who prey on the innocent who should fear the magistrate armed with swords and clubs, not the blameless in prayer. Represented in the officers of the temple guard and the soldiers of Rome we see a wide variety of modern “armed forces,” to include members of the military, state militias, security forces, police forces, law enforcement agencies and others. The common thread that binds them to...