Author: Rev. Dr. Jonathan R. Fisher

Conflicted Change

General

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.  ~Anatole France

So, Tuesday morning, I took my children to school for the first time. Sophie, my four year old, went right to her class. She sat in her chair nervously looking around the room clearly filled with the excitement of this new thing in her life. Ransom, my three year old, was much more apprehensive about the whole thing. While he was very down with the dinosaurs and the puzzles, he clearly was not ready for mom and dad to leave the room. Mom and dad however, were filled with the conflicting emotions of being excited for the kids to have reached that first big pinnacle of childhood and the grief that they were growing up and out of the home. On the one hand I found myself immensely proud of my children for doing well in school and some latent fear of what impact setting my children out in the world would have on them. As I walked out of the school in the morning, hand in hand with Sara, my thoughts moved toward the reality that it has happened – life will never be what it was yesterday – our children were now under the influence of others. Only time will tell how we do and have done as parents. 

Change often brings conflicting emotions. How do you deal with them? How does one deal with the reality of change and the desire to keep things the same, the comfortable way one has always known? 
I think one of the secret is a constant evaluation of the current situation. Self awareness, family awareness. Is it the best way? Am I hanging on to this way of doing things because I’m comfortable with it or because it really is the best way of doing whatever it is I’m doing? 
 
I can only trust that where we’ve been has strengthened us for where we are going. 

A general’s ethics.

Army, Chaplaincy

One of the roles of an Army chaplain is to be a moral, ethical voice to power. A general in the Army is the epitome of power. In the film, “Gettysburg,” the Joshua Chamberlain character says, “Generals can do anything. There is nothing so much like a god on earth than a general on the battlefield.” That’s a bit of an overstatement but the truth of it is that in the Army, the higher in rank you go, the more is entrusted to your care. Your power. As you move upward in rank, you become the face of the Army. Privates are not remembered, history writes about generals. When you are a general, you are given moral, spiritual, physical, and other power over those that are entrusted to your care.

This has always been true of leadership in the Army. In our all-volunteer force, it becomes even more so.

This is why an offence like the General who, after an instigation found:

The inspector general found that Ward had engaged in several “inappropriate” activities, including: 1) submitting expense reports with extravagant and 2) unacceptable charges, 3) inappropriate use of military staff, and 4) misuse of government funds, according to one administration official.

The official described the amount involved as “not an insignificant sum of money.” Meaning “hundreds of thousands of dollars” according to FOX news (see video: Four-star general accused of wasteful spending http://video.foxnews.com/v/1789367963001/four-star-general-accused-of-wasteful-spending/ ).

“Hundreds of thousands of dollars.” This is taxpayer money. As an Army officer, I am entrusted with both the leadership of Soldiers and the stewardship of our national treasure. Money matters. Rules about how that money is spent matters. When leadership does not follow the rules surrounding these things, how can they be a moral authority in regards to enforcing those rules down the chain?

I’m sure this officer is a great man who has done great things for his country and does not deserve to have all that taken away.

My question is: if he is ok with this, what else was he ok with and allowed to take place in his command?

This is a question that every Army leader needs to ask of themselves, what am I allowing in moderation that my Soldiers will take to excess?

When I was a 2LT, Staff Specialist, coming into the Army, a crusty old Command Sergeant Major told me that I needed to always be aware of how I followed the rules because when I didn’t, I was setting a new standard that Soldiers would follow. Whenever I as a leader choose to overlook something, let it go, or otherwise just ignore it, I am saying to my Chaplain’s Assistant and others that are with me that the Army Regulation does not matter – that it does not apply to me (and them).

When we are entrusted with rank, we are given the responsibility be the moral and ethical standard bearer. We are never above the rules. Never.

Celebrating a Chaplain’s sacrifice today.

Army, Chaplaincy

By: NY1 News

A memorial Mass was held at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island on Sunday to mark the 45th anniversary of Father Vincent Capodanno’s death in the Vietnam War.

Borough President James Molinaro was among those who honored the military chaplain for his heroic service.

Starting in 1966, Capodanno served in Vietnam, where he administered last rites to the dying and prayed over the dead.

The Elm Park native was killed by enemy gunfire the following year at the age of 38.

“It was in the battlefield where Father Capodanno excelled and inspired. He would find out from his friends and military intelligence what units were most likely to encounter the heaviest contact and he would volunteer for these missions,” said Vincent Maligno, a retired member of the U.S. Air Force.

Capodanno was awarded a Purple Heart, a Medal of Honor and a Bronze Star for his service.

In 2006, the Catholic Church officially proclaimed the chaplain a “Servant of God,” putting him on the path to sainthood.

See original article here.

Army Hazing

Army

Its stories like this that really frustrate me when I hear people talk about “the old Army.”

DETROIT (AP) — A soldier from Michigan who was struck with a large, wooden mallet at his Army base in North Carolina was seriously injured, his father said, expressing anger and shock that the incident was allowed to occur.

Ken Roach of Battle Creek said his son, Sgt. Phillip Roach, was hurt at Fort Bragg during what the Army later called an unauthorized “hazing” event to mark his promotion to sergeant. The 22-year-old knocked his head on the cement after getting hit, causing a seizure and head wound that required six staples, his father said.

Right. Cause that’s the “good ole days.” I hear it sometimes, somebody will say to me that “back in the day, they would just take it outside and settle it like men.” This new pansy Army with all it’s political correctness and sensitivity, they just need to get a case of intestinal fortitude. Right. Cause the old Army just was better.

Come on. This “pansy” Army has sustained combat for well over ten years. All volunteer. I think they’ve proved themselves over and over again to be able to “get it done.” You really want an Army where this kind of hazing is appropriate? Where a senior non-commissioned officer or commissioned officer can just do whatever they want to your child?

I don’t. I want some rules in place. If my children ever want to join the Service of their own free will and volition, I trust that the system in place will not deliberately hurt them without betterment. In other words, I get that Soldering is tough. I get that training has to be realistic, difficult and therefore dangerous. I get that sometimes people are going to get hurt – it’s training for war! I also do not want people to abuse the power and trust invested in them to train our nation’s finest.

I’m sure in this instance, there was no ill intent. I’m sure that there were traditions that are in place that this young Soldier was following. That does not make it right.

War is dangerous enough, our Soldiers are getting hurt in the field enough to allow for senseless traditions for the sake of traditions. Sometimes, this “new Army” is actually an improvement.

Further thoughts:

Last week, I watched my new Chaplain Assistant, MOS 56M, a PFC straight out of AIT take pepper spray to the eyes. It’s part of the training regimen for a Soldier who works in a prison. Here is a young man who wanted to serve his country, signed up for the Army, succeeded at Basic Training, comes to Leavenworth as a CHAPLAIN ASSISTANT and then has to take OC pepper spray in order to do his job.

Here’s how it goes, Soldier stand at the ready, OC pepper spray – spray designed to be so painful that being in contact with it will incapacitate an enraged, fighting individual so that they can be subdued – this 20 year old PFC from Virginia takes  the spray directly to the eyes! Not a wipe across the forehead, not “in the room,” and certainly not on some other part of his body where it would hurt (I speak from experience) – no, he takes it right in his eyes. He then has to complete five actions all related to being in a riot and subduing unruly people. The entire training take him about five minutes. Five minutes of shear agony. It is a hundred times worse than CS gas training or anything like it. It takes him two days to recover, both of which he comes to work and while his eyes are red and he is constantly wiping them, he does not complain.

That is training. That is tough, realistic, hardcore, hooah training. I have no issue with it. In fact, as the individual whom the 56M is supposed to protect, I am glad that I have a Chaplain Assistant who can take that kind of pain and come out swinging. And maintain his professionalism. He didn’t curse, didn’t scream, didn’t lose his cool – just grimaced through the pain with open eyes and completed his mission.

This business of hazing has nothing whatsoever to do with “making hard Soldiers.” Hazing is about the abuse of power over those who are so committed to being “one of the guys” that they take it. It has no place in a professional, all-volunteer force. I meet hardened Soldiers every day, Soldiers who don’t bat an eye at doing the hard parts of their job – but they don’t abuse others.

Hard training makes hard Soldiers.

Humility and Humanity

Sermon

My point is that, even as religion has moved to the center of American political life, humility has moved to the periphery.

This thought, written by Stephen Prothero in response to Eastwood’s speech at the RNC highlights something that I am addressing in my sermon tomorrow. The text this week is from Mark 7 where Jesus hammers the Pharisees for missing the boat in relationship to God. They were so focused on their identity as expressed through obedience to the Law (their interpretation and extrapolation of it) that they missed the dynamism of actual relationship. Rigidity in the doing stymied relationship in the being.

Its not all bad for them. I note in the sermon that history teaches us that these rigid followers of the Law were faithful and committed people; their writings not legalistic (for their time) but rather demonstrate vitality, a gracious vision of God, a yearning for justice, and a desire for people to live faithfully. They really believed that they were the closest to what God wanted from humans. Of course, they got a little lost in that.

Its not like we’re all that different – in our drive to rid ourselves of abortion, we miss the fact that we’re to be loving, kind and willing to sacrifice to take care of unwanted humans. In our drive to “uphold freedom” and rid ourselves from any vestige of that dirty word “socialism” (early Christians very much were socialists) we  abandon the chronically poor and those that are most vulnerable in our society. Sure, we get our “pure”  religion right but miss the point of the whole thing.

I think the Pharisees were sincere. I think they were faithful to the revelation they had – they just missed the further revelation of Jesus Christ – are we missing the same thing?

Mormon Pastor

General

So, yesterday, after I got back from work, I was cleaning up listening to the RNC speeches off and on the radio as I did some busy work around the house. What caught my attention was the speech given by Mitt Romney’s pastor about his pastoral work. It struck me because of how I have experienced the LDS church. 

I grew up with the understanding that Mormons were not Christians, they worshiped a different Jesus and all that. However, that is not how I have experienced the LDS Soldiers and families that I have met since coming into the Army. Clearly, they love Christ.

It should be noted that I don’t agree with Romney’s politics or the GOP worldview, but I really enjoyed hearing about his work as a Ward Pastor. 

The LDS church has a lay ministry. There is no “clergy class” or even paid clergy. When Romney was the ward pastor, as all ward pastors are (including multiple Army officers and NCOs that I’ve met) called to do that work, they do it in addition to their own jobs. Its a sacrifice. Coming from a tradition that was founded on lay ministers on the frontier, I appreciate the emphasis that ministry is for everyone in the church. All Christians are called to work the work of the Faith. 

I appreciate that Mr. Romney highlighted his faith in his quest for the office. 

About the header

General

The picture on the banner is of the Abby at Iona – on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland.

I visited there in August of 2012 with my Dad and brothers. Amazing place.

Several years ago, during a deployment to Iraq, I began reading about the Celtic approach to the Christian faith and found much there that resonated with me. There is a community at Iona that still practices that old way. I hope to do a proper spiritual pilgrimage when I am able to in the future. Amazing, amazing place.

Religious Freedom

Chaplaincy

Religious Freedom is a term we toss around in this culture freely as though we all knew what it meant.

Being a chaplain in a prison highlights to me both what it means – particularly in a culture where the lack of personal freedom is so evident.

Freedom of religion is:

– The freedom to believe what you want to believe and not suffer discrimination because of it. In other words, if you want to be a pastafarian, that’s cool. No one should be able to deny you work based on that belief. Of course, this is also limited by choosing to work in an area where your beliefs are part and parcel of the work you do – the Bible teacher at a Christian school certainly would not be a pastafarian. However, Walmart cannot deny you work based on that. This has not always been the case in our western-christian heritage but it certainly is now.

– The freedom of religion is also the freedom to practice your faith in a way that makes sense to you – limited, of course, by the law. In other words, questions of zoning are not necessarily questions of religious liberty unless zoning is being used to suppress a particular faith group. Another example is that while it is perfectly legal for a licensed butcher to sacrifice an animal in this country to spread a feast of beef on a table, it gets a bit complicated when you want to do it in your back yard for a worship ritual.

In a prison setting where one’s freedom is limited, the freedom of one person to share their faith with another inmate is limited by the other’s freedom to say “I don’t want to hear it.”