Brotherhood
The first time I encountered it was several years ago after purchasing a small fishing boat; nothing fancy, nothing big. I bought it from my boss and took it to the lake now and again. That’s when I noticed them; boat people.
I don’t mean that in a “Children of the Corn” weird sort of way, but in a genuinely affectionate, interesting sort of way. All of a sudden, for the purchase price of a second-hand boat, I was unknowingly inducted into a fraternity, a community, a family.
I remember one time having trouble getting the boat up out of the water and before I could turn around, a small army of kind neighbors were there to help. Some even complimented my modest rig, told me about their’s, and we all went on our way. Total strangers, but with something in common.
I also see this with special needs children and parents. There is a bond, a sense of community, that ties us together. When I see a family in a restaurant with a special child, my heart warms to them immediately. I know where they are and what they are going through. I feel their pain, share their joy, and celebrate their triumph of simply being outside the house. In a small way, a very small way, we know each other. We are part of something, something bigger than either of us. A community, a family.
These sorts of “families” exist all around us in all sorts of events and circumstances, but maybe the most profound I have seen is the community, the family, the Brotherhood of veterans who have served in the United States Armed Services.
1st Sgt. Russell Bell, Tyler, TX
I’ve seen the happy camaraderie surrounding fellow soldiers before, I’ve seen it on TV watching D-Day survivors returning to the beaches and wandering around, talking with other soldiers who lost so much. But I had never seen it so up close as I did when we took a group of Juniors and Seniors from our local school to march in the Veteran’s Day Parade in Dallas as the Platoon of the Fallen representing those who had given their lives in battle.
As we walked down the street we held 2’ x 3’ posters of paintings done by Houston artist, Ken Pridgeon and his Portrait of a Warrior Project. Since these soldiers could no longer walk in the parade, we walked for them. It was truly an indescribable experience.
Several things burned into my memory on two separate occasions.
The first was the old-timer. As we rounded a corner in downtown Dallas, I saw a now frail WWII veteran in full uniform standing and saluting his fallen comrades as he balanced with one hand on his wheelchair. He didn’t know these men and women we represented, but he shared something deeper than mere acquaintance; he shared the Brotherhood.
CMSgt. Charles R. Parker
He had been through what they had been through at some level. He had learned to put his life in the hands of another, to place their lives in his own. These are the things that bind souls together, often closer than any blood relation.
I hear stories of long lost service buddies finding each other after decades and the first moment they lay eyes on one another is just as familiar as the last time they shared each other’s company. There is an inexplicable bond known only to those who have walked the deep waters you have walked.
I’ve not served in the armed services, but my respect goes to those who have. That applies to Police officers, Firefighters, EMTs, Paramedics, and other first-responder-type folks who put themselves in harm’s way so I don’t need to be.
The Christian community would do well to learn from these tight-knit bonds that transcend time and space. We could learn a great deal from the depth of love these men and women have for their brothers and sisters as we love those who labor with us in the Word and Service to our Holy King.
If we can find common ground over boats, special needs, CrossFit, and the gut-wrenching heartache of battle, surely we can find deep, abiding commonality at the foot of the Cross.
Today I honor those who have served and sacrificed in the United States Armed Services. I pray we can learn from you what it means to be family, to be a part of a Brotherhood.
