Support our troops

I had the privilege of spending time with my college friend, Rev. Jim Higgins this past weekend. Along with all the usual catching up and laughing about college times remembered, we talked about his recent tour of duty as a chaplain in Iraq. We also discussed an article that I have written for Helium.com in which I say that it is impossible to support the troops without supporting the war. I asked his opinion (which I value highly) and he told me of a question that he regularly asks those who "support the troops".

When someone tells him that they don't support the war, but they "do support the troops" he automatically asks, "How?" When they universally reply, "What do you mean?" before they try and stammer some nonsensical answer, he replies, "You say that you support the troops so I'm asking you how. Have you sent a care package, a letter, called one of them, volunteered at a USO or VA Hospital? What have you done to support them?" So I ask all of you the same thing.

The other day I watched a Law and Order:SVU in which the story came down to an assassination of a public figure by the distraught husband of a female soldier killed in Iraq. The story line was not as moving as the final scene in which the husband is standing in an airplane hanger by himself with a Marine honor guard as they put his wife's coffin in a hearse. As the officers arrest him, he asks, "How does he (the public figure) get all of the media attention for what he did and she (his wife) gets this? Where are the cameras and the press to honor her?" (or something to that effect) The point is, it's easy to protest "the war" and to call for peace, but it's not so easy to deal with the humanity involved.

I'm ashamed to admit that the bishops of my church (United Methodist) have distributed one of the most ill-advised and politically motivated letters they have issued regarding the war. In it they call for the immediate withdrawl of our troops and a peaceful end to hostilities. I would ask, how do they propose that? In addition, and more importantly, if they are so concerned about our troops and their well-being, what are they doing about it until they are brought home?

Where is the letter calling for all of our churches to be actively engaged by "adopting" service people and bombarding them with letters, packages, and prayers from home? Where is the letter calling for all of our churches to have someone meet the planes transporting the bodies of the fallen so that we can minister to those families as they begin the grieving process? Where is the letter calling for all of our churches to actively engage with those injured in the war by assisting them in their homes and hospitals? Instead, they take the politically popular position of "supporting our troops" by calling for them to come home. That's easy to say, but what are you doing to show your support until they do come home?

Thoughts anyone?