An Article on Faith

There is an interesting article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune today, on the faith of Soldiers in Iraq. Click here to read it.

In my experience, it is similar to my experience of Soldiers and their faith. Many Soldiers do not have the time to get involved in chapel service or a Bible Study (well, they say they don't, but I still always offer!). The reality is that the hours are long and hard in the combat zone. So many Soldiers express their faith in a much more private manner- reading the Bible, prayers on their own, etc.

This article illustrates that some Soldiers grow in their faith and others struggle, while in Iraq. It's interesting, of course, that the article was skewed toward Lutherans and Catholics, but that is typical of Minnesotan Soldiers (as well as Iowa, the Dakotas, etc.). My experience working with Soldiers is that the largest representations of Soldiers are Catholic, or some form of Baptist, but that's an unofficial guess-timate. The wonderful thing is that each base offers a variety of worship services, ranging from Roman Catholic, to liturgical Protestant, to contemporary Protestant, to Gospel services, and just about everything in between in the Christian spectrum. We also provide for the religious needs of Soldiers of all faiths; sometimes that means having an officially recognized lay leader provide a service, or, if one is not possible, flying in a chaplain from that faith group from time to time.

One last random observation, dealing with my last post: the title was Not War, But Reconstruction. I think about the title, and I should be careful: it IS a war. Obviously, people are being wounded and killed, and someone is shooting those rockets and mortars at us. But it is not a war in the same sense of which it was in the beginning phases of the war. It is a different type of war, a different type of combat. It is one of protecting the people trying to rebuild their country after years of oppression and neglect. The fact that it involves not just our folks, but the Iraqi people is what makes this, ultimately, their war to win now. We have won the war of liberation. Now, the will of the Iraqi people is paramount in the war of reconstruction and the war of defense of this new nation. Iraq IS at war. They are at war against Al Qaeda, against insurgents, and against the countries supplying them. As Americans concerned for a country to be free and safe, this war MUST continue to be our war as well.

This is difficult for Americans, I think, because we no longer fully grasp the reality of evil. Evil is more hidden and subtle in our country. Hence, when we are faced with a real threat, we find ourselves less able to grasp the nature of that evil. We want to relativize it, or blame it on not getting enough hugs as a kid, or something like that.

That brings this back, full circle for me, to the nature of faith. How has Iraq affected my faith? Here are two ways: one, it has convinced me that evil is real. I believe that before, but in sort of a theoretical way. Now I have experienced the effects of it. Second, it has focused my faith more on the need for Christians to love each other, and to love the world. Again, in this case I am not talking about some mushy "I'm ok, you're ok" sort of love, but on the abiding and deep "agape" type of love found in the Bible. Agape is the Greek word best meaning something like steadfast love. A love that goes beyond the superficial, and challenges us to true Christian love and fellowship. I think that is why so many of our churches are shrinking: we have forgotten how to love. Yet it is the most important command: Love God, and love your neighbor. We in churches love to talk a good talk, but so often our actions are superficial, or hide our true impulses to gossip or discourage each other. In Iraq, God has really been speaking to me about the need to be more Christ-like in my ability to love.

I'd encourage you all to read that article, and then think about how God has challenged your faith in times of trial or difficulty.