Sabbath Messages > Sabbath Message: October 1, 2005
Good Sabbath
October 1 , 2005
"Happy are they who act justly,
Who do right at all times."
(from the Psalms)
Even when there is growing conflict between the creationists and those who believe in evolution, I believe in both. Naturally my belief is in a God of kindness and forgiveness. I studied evolution as a student and I accept its premise as I've observed apes and Orangutans that are better than humans-regardless of what King Kong did in Manhattan. My Dad introduced me to the ape King with his story telling. He always made it a love affair between the giant ape and Fay Wray, so it wasn't good against evil; it was a love affair gone astray, in NYC, where stranger things have happened.
Life! When all is said and done, what does it all add up to? If we could get humankind to stand still and listen, what would we say, what statement would we make and would it make any difference? When a person is elected to leadership, how he behaves and what he says defines what he is rather than what his defenders tell us he means. Thus I teach ethics and leadership with the same definition; it is how you behave, for the rest is commentary.
As I wake up to each morning's news, I am especially interested in what has happened in Iraq and what our losses have been. To this end, I previewed the reviews of three books on warfare and its fighters. Why does a person become heroic-not thinking of himself-as he performs incredible valor, for the good of his comrades and those he leads? "Gravely wounded and bleeding profusely, Gomez's only thought was to protect his fellow Marines." (No True Glory" by Bing West).
In "The Gift of Valor: A War Story" (Michael Phillips) I thought of Cpl. Jason Dunham, who tried to smother a grenade only to be gravely wounded; I thought of his parents, at his side, as he died in Bethesda. It is well that we read about spontaneous valor of "common" folk, whose unselfishness and devotion to the defense of our country and their comrades, is so inspiring, even when the author describes explicitly what happened. After just six weeks in Iraq, all who treated his grave wounds are described and how magnificent their dedication can be, as opposed to the sound bites of politicians who treat the fury of war with arrogance, when they have never been close to it. Macho is not the Marine who is wounded or killed, but the politician who has never seen battle but describes how heroic his policies are, while media plays along in this game of insincerity and hypocrisy.
In "McCoy's Marines: Darkside to Baghdad" (John Koopman). He describes the young Marines coolness under battle. "The Marines have a serene internal calm. The violence, the threat of death all around them , seem to mean nothing. They just sit up and shoot." Thank God for those who are trained to protect us and each other. This is the reality of more than a John Wayne movie. It is the background to the ugly statistics that pour out of the Pentagon and D.C.
When ever I am comfortable at home, resting or reading, I think of what may be happening. At the celebration of the creation of our world, by God, I think "how far have we really come, what have we learned about ourselves, what can each of us do to prevent the repetition of the ugly, insistent side of history?
"True courage is cool and calm. The bravest of men have the least of a brutal, bullying insolence, and in the very time of danger are found the most serene and free." (Shaftesbury-1671-1713)
"True courage is not the brutal force of vulgar heroes, but the firm resolve of virtue and reason" (Paul Whitehead)
"And so we pray: if we are weary, give us strength,
If we are discouraged, give us hope.
If we have forgotten how to pray, remind us;
If we have been careless of time, forgive us.
If our hearts have been chilled by indifference,
Warm them with Your mercy and inspire us
With the glowing spirit of this holyday."
Amen
sandy
