This picture represents the romanticized image of war.
This story about the soldier in the picture represents the reality.
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Some things make you say, "Now that's Gospel."
Mercer Fam
About Me
- Danny Mercer
- I am a hospice chaplain. I stand in the sacred space of those who know they are dying and their loved-ones. The dying have a lot to teach us. What they/we need to know is that our lives matter so much that we are concerned what will happen to our loved-ones without us. We need to be able to say, “forgive me” and “I forgive you.” We need others to feel what it is to be me. To be known and loved anyway. We need to know we are loved, safe, and not alone. We need to know if I’m dying. Tell me the truth. If you can’t say anything, just hold my hand.
3 comments:
Hi Danny. Truly a tragedy for this young man, but are you drawing a picture that his story is typical? That the media romanticizes more often then reporting the truth of both tragic happenings and heroic?
Ed, good to hear from you. I wouldn't say the media specifically. But, in general, I think in our culture we fail to recognize that war is fundamentally devastating. The "Bad Guys" are not the only casualties.
I agree with that and think it speaks to just how blessed we are in the U.S.A. We're protected by two great oceans, our freedom has given us a path to great personal wealth and comfort. The contrast between what is ordinary from what one would experience when one volunteers to go to war is so vastly different, some simply can not handle the experience. My nephew is currently in the Army and is serving in Bagdad. He said he wanted to be where the action is, and boy is he. He's conducting house searches, finding bomb making labs, etc. I pray that he is mentally tough enough to be able to come home and make the transition. Here is a link to a Stars & Stripes article that featured my nephew, his name is Robert Sacco (all prayer appreciated)http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61187&archive=true
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