Soul Food

Michele Marr

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is

no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are

appointed by God.

-- The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans 13:1

If you love your freedom, clap your hands. Clap your hands and applaud

a veteran, especially this Sunday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day.

I came of age during the Vietnam War era. It was tough for me to

accept the biblical and civil, idea that we, as citizens, are supposed to

be subject to our governing authorities -- even when doing so means going

to war -- regardless of what you think of the war.

It was even tougher for me to grasp how God could appoint authorities

like Hitler and Stalin, authorities that were much worse than our own.

That is still tough for me to grasp. That I was the daughter of a

dedicated career soldier, a veteran of WWII and the Korean War, never

helped.

But the duty we have to defend the sovereignty of our nation and its

leaders has become more self-evident to me over time. As I read the

papers and listen to the news, I think this must be true for many of my

fellow citizens, especially since Sept. 11.

While some voice concerns that we may not be able to contain or defeat

our enemies, few voice the opinion that we should not try. For the sake

of our soldiers and for our own sakes, I hope we can contain our doubts

and maintain our moral commitment to what we have begun.

Recently I read a thought-provoking article by Army of Afghanistan

General (Ret) Mohammad Yahya Nawroz, and U.S. Army LTC (Ret) Lester W.

Grau titled, The Soviet War in Afghanistan: History and Harbinger of

Future War? These authors see the 10-year Soviet War in Afghanistan as

both the past and the prologue of war history.

They describe the war, not as “a war of technology against peasantry,”

but as “a contest of endurance and national will.” I wonder about our

endurance. Only two months after Sept. 11 our determination shows signs

of waning.

The conclusions of Nawroz and Grau are stark. “No army,” they write,

“however sophisticated, well trained [and] materially rich--can succeed

on the battlefield if it is not psychologically fit and motivated for the

fight.”

It is the military force that “can rely on the moral qualities of a

strong faith, stubborn determination, individualism and unending patience

[that] will always be the winner.”

I wonder about our patience that already appears to be wearing thin.

It is moral commitment - ideological, religious and patriotic - that

carries the day and the victory. Disconcertingly, Nawroz and Grau

conclude, “These may not be the optimum qualities found in the armies of

Western democracies.”

As a Western culture and democracy, we may be too urbane for these

things.

This Veterans Day we have many soldiers to honor, those fighting in

our current war and those who fought before them to secure our freedom

and to keep our nation free.

They deserve our support, our commitment and our prayers, that their

faith and determination may remain strong. And they deserve our patience

as much as they need their own.

The paradox of freedom is, and always has been, that comes at a price.

It’s a price our soldiers, our veterans and their families often pay

disproportionately.

Sunday is Veterans Day. If you love your freedom, it’s a good day to

thank God. And it’s as good a day as any to thank a veteran.

* MICHELE MARR is a freelance writer and graphic designer from

Huntington Beach. She has been interested in religion and ethics for as

long as she can remember. She can be reached at o7

[email protected]