It is December and time for the seemingly annual display of our pugilistic mindset...meaning that the cries of "war on Christmas!" echo through the studios of a certain segment of our news media (you know who they are) and spill out on the airwaves. The latest story going around is that kids in a certain Florida school have been banned from wearing green and red, because they are Christmas colors. Of course the school's denial has met with silence from the critics...who wouldn't know the truth if it bit them,IMHO.
It is easy to dismiss this annual bitching and complaining as the actions of a deluded, angry few, intended to get attention, raise support,etc. But I think something else is at work here and it involves us all. I believe that all too often any of us can fall into the trap of being pugilistic..that is ...looking for a fight, just for the fight's sake. There are many things we encounter on a daily basis that can make us angry. Bad drivers, rude callers, slow sales clerks - weather that is too cold,hot.wet,etc - all these and much more try our patience. If our day starts bad we can develop an attitude of "don't mess with me, I'm having a bad day!" And if we don't relax we may unload on the next unsuspecting person. It can happen to any of us, so beware the pugilistic mindset.
Even when we see legitimate targets or come across instances of wrongdoing that need to be corrected, are we looking for solutions ,or for an enemy to fight? We talk about elections in terms of war, of our fellow American opponents as "enemies", and wax on about the downfall of the country if the other side wins. And our differences get magnified into huge moral crises.
It doesn't seem to matter whether it is sports, politics, religion,or any other area. We all face the temptation to go looking for a fight. Fighting for what is right, to defend those at risk, is important. But why manufacture a fight?
I am reminded of a confrontation I had with a couple classmates in elementary school while walking home. They ambushed me at the junction in a path and I could tell that one of them wanted a fight (the other was just watching...lame groupie :<) . I hadn't had a run-in with the kid, though I had known him to get in trouble in class. I hadn't done anything I knew of to make him angry..he just was looking for a fight to "look tough" (hence the groupie). My response? I simply walked by him and away down the path..ignoring his pathetic shove. I never had a problem with him again.
Perhaps in this season. between Thanksgiving and Christmas we should ignore those who are itching for a fight, restrain our own pugilistic impulses, and focus on spreading a contagion of peace. There will be times when we need to fight, and important things to fight for, but I think right now there is much more need for peace and healing in this world...don't you?
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Friday, December 3, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Gettysburg
As we get set to celebrate Independence Day, another anniversary looms that should gives us pause for reflection. On this day,July 3rd, 147 years ago, the battle of Gettysburg ended. It was the bloodiest battle in the Civil War and one of the most deadly in all of American History (46,000 casualties, including almost 8,000 deaths). It was seen as a turning point in the war, the beginning of the end. And it was memorialized in Lincoln's Gettysburg address. The Union was saved , we began to be one people once again, but at a great cost.
Much has been written about the war, too often simplistic notions of what lead to it and what it was all about, but oftentimes it becomes an intellectual exercise , devoid of emotion or an understanding of the people involved. Michael Shaara wrote a book called The Killer Angels, about Gettysburg, later made into a miniseries. I watched it years ago and very much enjoyed it, now I want to read the book.
Especially after I just finished reading Gods and Generals, which was written by Jeff Shaara, Michael's son. This one is about the period leading up to Gettysburg, as seen through the eyes of four key generals: Robert E Lee, Thomas Johnathan (Stonewall) Jackson, for the Confederacy, and Winfield Scott Hancock , Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, for the Union. It shows where they came from (beginning in 1848 and the Mexican war) and what made them who they were, ultimately showing them in the early battles of the war.
The picture that emerges is of four deeply religious individuals (and their fellow soldiers) who all thought they were doing God's work, defending their homes, families, communities. Good people or faith can disagree and God is not bound to any of them. Pious words are easy, actions are not. They were often at the mercy of events that swept them along like a flood. And all saw situations where comrades were split by the war, friendships broken, in part due to the fact that we still did not see ourselves as one nation, but as a collection of states. None were really vocal or active in the debate over slavery, they simply were doing their duty as they saw it.
It also shows that just following orders can be disastrous. There were key parts in the battles when lower level commanders knew the top general was wrong, yet could not bring themselves to challenge the orders...too much military mindset training. And it brings home the reality of war, away from the cold strategy, to the human cost in blood, sweat and tears. Did you know that many of the soldiers (mainly the south) did not have shoes and marched barefoot?
One of the battles shown in the book is the town in which my wife went to college, Fredericksburg. I have been there with her and so I had some sense of what the terrain was like. I have also been to Gettysburg and seen the battlefield, though many,many years ago.
Two things that struck me as I read, apart from the observations above. One is that I shudder to think that people recently would even hint at the word secession (Texas Gov Rick Perry and others) and that states' rights would be the rallying cry for so many. How can we go back to the divisiveness of pre-Civil War days and have state governors think that they can just ignore federal law? That issue was settled, in much blood, and I believe it is only those with no true understanding of history that can spout careless words and concepts like these.
The other thing is that in all our conflicts we must channel our differences through peaceful means and ratchet down the rhetoric. It is healthy to have lengthy , and often contentious, debate over serious issues. But one thing must be certain. We debate as Americans, one nation united by history and purpose, and certain key principles. We must not seek to divide but to unite. As Lincoln had a forgiving attitude ("malice toward none ...charity towards all") towards the rebellious southern states, let us be gracious toward those we disagree with and focus on what we share in common, not those things that can so easily divide us.
As General Sherman once famously said "war is hell" and no one in their right minds (and hearts) would ever seek it willingly. These books (Gods and Generals, and Killer Angels) both show that and remind us that seeking peace is a much preferable goal.
Much has been written about the war, too often simplistic notions of what lead to it and what it was all about, but oftentimes it becomes an intellectual exercise , devoid of emotion or an understanding of the people involved. Michael Shaara wrote a book called The Killer Angels, about Gettysburg, later made into a miniseries. I watched it years ago and very much enjoyed it, now I want to read the book.
Especially after I just finished reading Gods and Generals, which was written by Jeff Shaara, Michael's son. This one is about the period leading up to Gettysburg, as seen through the eyes of four key generals: Robert E Lee, Thomas Johnathan (Stonewall) Jackson, for the Confederacy, and Winfield Scott Hancock , Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, for the Union. It shows where they came from (beginning in 1848 and the Mexican war) and what made them who they were, ultimately showing them in the early battles of the war.
The picture that emerges is of four deeply religious individuals (and their fellow soldiers) who all thought they were doing God's work, defending their homes, families, communities. Good people or faith can disagree and God is not bound to any of them. Pious words are easy, actions are not. They were often at the mercy of events that swept them along like a flood. And all saw situations where comrades were split by the war, friendships broken, in part due to the fact that we still did not see ourselves as one nation, but as a collection of states. None were really vocal or active in the debate over slavery, they simply were doing their duty as they saw it.
It also shows that just following orders can be disastrous. There were key parts in the battles when lower level commanders knew the top general was wrong, yet could not bring themselves to challenge the orders...too much military mindset training. And it brings home the reality of war, away from the cold strategy, to the human cost in blood, sweat and tears. Did you know that many of the soldiers (mainly the south) did not have shoes and marched barefoot?
One of the battles shown in the book is the town in which my wife went to college, Fredericksburg. I have been there with her and so I had some sense of what the terrain was like. I have also been to Gettysburg and seen the battlefield, though many,many years ago.
Two things that struck me as I read, apart from the observations above. One is that I shudder to think that people recently would even hint at the word secession (Texas Gov Rick Perry and others) and that states' rights would be the rallying cry for so many. How can we go back to the divisiveness of pre-Civil War days and have state governors think that they can just ignore federal law? That issue was settled, in much blood, and I believe it is only those with no true understanding of history that can spout careless words and concepts like these.
The other thing is that in all our conflicts we must channel our differences through peaceful means and ratchet down the rhetoric. It is healthy to have lengthy , and often contentious, debate over serious issues. But one thing must be certain. We debate as Americans, one nation united by history and purpose, and certain key principles. We must not seek to divide but to unite. As Lincoln had a forgiving attitude ("malice toward none ...charity towards all") towards the rebellious southern states, let us be gracious toward those we disagree with and focus on what we share in common, not those things that can so easily divide us.
As General Sherman once famously said "war is hell" and no one in their right minds (and hearts) would ever seek it willingly. These books (Gods and Generals, and Killer Angels) both show that and remind us that seeking peace is a much preferable goal.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
war and peace
Isn't it odd that at this time of year people seem eager to fight ...the whole "war on Christmas" hysteria...at a time when we are supposed to be celebrating the coming of the "Prince of Peace" ?
People fight and claw and clamor because they think that "someone" is stifling their religious freedom, when the whole message of the manger (and the Cross to come) is about sacrifice and humility? About God Almighty lowering Himself to take on human form, suffer the indignities of poverty (no room for them in the inn), and live among us, to reach out to us in love.
As you listen to the clamor and disputes, how much humility and love do you hear? How much of it do you hear from yourself? Sometimes it is necessary to stop and just listen. It's amazing what you can see and hear when you are quiet. The Bible says, "The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silent before Him"....sometimes I think those who claim to be following God should take that advice.
Long ago, shepherds heard angels, wise men followed a star, and miracles happened. We could use those today. One place to start....Listen again, as I have recently, to Handel's Messiah...
Let the messages sink in, and see how it affects your perspective and priorities.
Merry Christmas everyone ! :)
People fight and claw and clamor because they think that "someone" is stifling their religious freedom, when the whole message of the manger (and the Cross to come) is about sacrifice and humility? About God Almighty lowering Himself to take on human form, suffer the indignities of poverty (no room for them in the inn), and live among us, to reach out to us in love.
As you listen to the clamor and disputes, how much humility and love do you hear? How much of it do you hear from yourself? Sometimes it is necessary to stop and just listen. It's amazing what you can see and hear when you are quiet. The Bible says, "The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silent before Him"....sometimes I think those who claim to be following God should take that advice.
Long ago, shepherds heard angels, wise men followed a star, and miracles happened. We could use those today. One place to start....Listen again, as I have recently, to Handel's Messiah...
Let the messages sink in, and see how it affects your perspective and priorities.
Merry Christmas everyone ! :)
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