A Compendium of Sermon Thoughts by Rev. Carl Doersch, First UMC, Ashland, WI

There is an old Native American story about a young lad who came to his elder with a question: "Grandfather, I have a lamb and a wolf inside of me. What should I do?" The grandfather answered with a question, "Which one do you feed?"

Feeding the lamb inside of me is difficult in times of war because there are so many competing voices demanding compliance to hardened beliefs. I hear the issues being debated and it seems like a huge trial. There are prosecuters, defenders, judge, and jury. I am called to decide upon serious things of life and death. There are three issues before us, as I see it.

First there is the issue of Weapons of Mass Destruction. This is a real concern. Wolves are capable of creating weapons that threaten millions. These wolves can dress in sheep's clothing, slip in and blow us up. We have seen what a few could do with air planes on 9-ll. What would dirty nuclear or chemical bombs do in large populated areas? The wolves are on trial before the world.

But then the United States is on trial, too. In Galations 5:l9 the Apostle Paul mentions a sin of the flesh called licentiousness. The term means granting a license to someone to break a commandment. Indeed, there are times when the world has given license to go to war, utilizing the "Just War Theory." The question the world argues about is: Does America have a license to do something different from the moral code of the commandment, "you shall not murder?" The Pope indicated that he thought Afghanistan was a just war. He granted a license. There were wolves who were obviously intent upon violence to others. Yet the Pope did not grant a license for this war on Iraq. I don't mean to suggest that the Pope has a final say on anything. His thoughts are not binding upon Roman Catholics, but it frames the debate and the concerns that are being expressed by many in the world.

Finally there is the question of the corrosive nature of war itself. There are those who complain about the unfair tactics and the inhumanity of Iraqi soldiers. They are right, but I have never seen a fair, humane war. Thats why they call it war! Its something that is never fair or humane.

It is the darkness that I feel in these times of war. While others may listen to planners, politicians, and ideologues, my mind zips to the soldier on the ground because I was once one of them (Viet Nam 70-71). The others are chess players. The soldier on the ground is a pawn or maybe a knight. Playing the game and Life on a chess Board are different realities. I know what can happen "on the board" and how soldiers can be forgotten after the battle is over. Supporting the troops means a lot more than cheering when the action is hot and heavy. Foot dragging on Agent Orange and Gulf War Syndrom are reminders. These soldiers may come back with something bad too. They will need our help once the game is over. Don't forget our troops.

I found this article in the Milwaukee Journal. It's By Meg Laughlin (4/7/03): "They were sick of the killing and sick of the shelling, and they decided the best remedy might be doing a good deed. So five soldiers from the Army's V Corps 7th Combat Support Group filled a 500 gallon tank of water and drove past the ravages of war: toppled mud-brick homes, abandoned crops, shattered quarries and burned-out cars. They parked in nearby Ar Ruhawman, a settlement of about l00 where shelling had knocked out the village water pump. Curious Iraqis approached from all directions, young men in crocheted prayer caps and checkered head pieces, little girls in brightly colored dresses and barrettes in their hair, women with heads shrouded by black chardars.

Finally, Salm Huddah, 30, clutching her three small girls to her skirt, stepped forward from the uneasy crowd and spoke: "We are afraid of this war," she said in English. "We are afraid of Hussein. We are afraid of you." The soldiers motioned for her and the rest of the villagers to get containers. They dispersed and returned with empty olive oil cans, buckets, skillets, rubber bins, garbage cans. They stood in lines at the tree water spigots on the tank. Those without containers opened their mouths under the running water. Then, they used whatever leftover containers they had to accept rice the soldiers had brought. When it was gone, a man describing himself as the the town elder invited the soldiers into a mud-brick building with a dirt floor. The five soldiers sat down with dozens of villagers in a room with a red rug and drank cup after cup of hot black tea, sweetened with liberal dollops of sugar. The villagers gave them homemade bread, hot fresh pita with cinnamon. The soldiers ate and drank, their gas masks, helmets and M16's on the rug. One of the soldiers spoke enough Arabic to translate what the village elder read to them from the Qur'an.

As they returned to their two trucks, the soldiers put their hands over their hearts and bowed - an Islamic gesture of respect. "Now, I feel good," said Staff Sgt. Alberto Vassallo of Long Island, N.Y. "You don't feel good when you're killing people."

This is how many common soldiers feel as compared to many planners, politicians, and ideologues. (My words).

In this time of Lent, we are thoughtful about the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. My prayer in time of war is that the Lamb is not overcome by the wolf that's being fed.

Amen

Rev. Carl Doersch, Ashland, WI Serving: First UMC of Ashland; Sanborn UMC; Odanah UMC