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'The voice of reason in the middle of chaos'
Dahlgren chaplain's duty: to help military personnel reconcile war-fighting role with principles of faith
Date published: 6/24/2009 By Ed Jones WHAT DOES a chaplain say when a Marine wants revenge after 21 of his buddies have been killed in three days in Iraq? What kind of blessing does a man of God offer when the remains of a U.S. serviceman and the suicide bomber who killed him are retrieved together? What prayer does he say when a sniper unit heads out on assignment? How does the chaplain deal with the guilt of a Marine who kills an innocent civilian after following proper rules of engagement? These aren't easy issues. But they were the kind faced by Lt. Richard Malmstrom in 2005 during his service as a Navy chaplain for the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines. He learned that these issues aren't abstractions--not when you have a Marine crying on your shoulder because he lost his best friend. Now the chaplain at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren in King George County, Malmstrom reflected recently on how he and other chaplains are called to be "the voice of reason in the middle of chaos." What's the theological approach for helping members of the armed forces reconcile their war-fighting role with the principles of their faith in God? A war zone is not a good place for theological nuances, says Malmstrom, who feels sorry for those who have not hammered out their beliefs before heading into an environment where horrible deaths can occur at any instant. "I describe it as condensing WITNESSING TRUE EVIL A member of the Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod, Malmstrom relied on Martin Luther's doctrine of the two kingdoms to help the servicemen see their efforts as service to God. God rules the earthly kingdom through secular government and the heavenly kingdom through the gospel of grace, according to this doctrine.
Date published: 6/24/2009
Two Kingdoms?
(posted by
UsefulIdiot
, June 24, 2009 9:24 pm)
Sounds like a recipe for schizophrenia. Some of these soldiers will eventually come down with PTSD. Some Christains (Mennonites, Quakers) who have eschewed the whole war thing. I can't say they're wrong.
Thank you
(posted by
tuggboat
, June 24, 2009 4:18 pm)
Thanks to all the men and women serving and those who are
looking our for their needs. We are lucky to have such fine
people representing our nation.
God Bless
(posted by
P2B12
, June 24, 2009 11:15 am)
Our Chaplains!!
http://northlandcatholic.blogspot.com/search?q=vakoc
Nope...
(posted by
Theophilus
, June 24, 2009 7:32 am)
He is not a walking time bomb. He has his worldview right.
Two kingdoms, and we operate in both. I don't expect
skeptics to understand this nor even buy into it because I or
the chaplain say so. But that is how it is. There is a lot of
pressure, and I am sure he needs an outlet to handle that
pressure aside of prayer and the spiritual disciplines. Ch
Malmstrom has it down and should be commended and
applauded for his service. Having been there I don't envy
him
Revenge
(posted by
Freedrik
, June 24, 2009 7:09 am)
What a horrible burden to have something like burned into your heart.
The poor soldier sounds like a walking time bomb
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