James_Key

Here is my most recent USA Today op-ed piece - Capt. James Key, Chaplain in the U.S. Army at Fort Irwin, CA - November 23, 2007

Last month a generous couple reminded me that there are still a few people left in our society who haven’t forgotten how to say "thank you."

I was sitting in a restaurant enjoying my lunch when the waitress returned to my table to inform me that a couple in another booth, who asked to remain anonymous, told her to put my bill on their credit card. She told me that they saw me in my uniform eating alone and wanted to show their appreciation by paying for my meal. She said, "It’s no big deal, it’s just their way of thanking you for serving our nation."

While this gesture of kindness may have been no big deal to the waitress, it was certainly a big deal to me. It restored my hope and assured me that no matter how people feel about the war — good, bad or indifferent — they appreciate the sacrifice and selfless-service of our young men and women in uniform.  And, based on the comments of other soldiers I know, such generosity is a quite common occurrence.

As we prepare to enjoy the days of the holiday season, let us remember that Thanksgiving and Christmas is more than time off from work, but a time for families and friends to gather for a day of thanks.  Unfortunately, sometime we become overwhelmed by the daily events of life and forget to count our blessings or say "thank you" to those who have been a blessing to us.  This is an age-old lesson.

More than 2,000 years ago, according to Luke 17:11-19, Jesus was on the border between Galilee and Samaria and was met by a group of 10 men who suffered from leprosy, a disease that disfigures the skin and at the time made the victim a social outcast.

When the 10 men saw Jesus they stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" Jesus responded, "Go show yourselves to the priest."  And as they went they were cleansed. But one of them, when he saw he was healed, came back praising God. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.  Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?"

Did the other nine not appreciate what Jesus did for them? Or were they so overwhelmed by joy they simply forgot to say "thank you?"

This holiday season is a good time to stop to count the blessings, large and small, that fill our lives.  

That couple who paid for my meal did more than simply provided my nourishment.  They reaffirmed to me we still live in a society that has not forgotten how to say "thank you" — including to our troops, many of whom will be working this holiday or celebrating it half a world away from their families so that the rest of us can have more reasons to be thankful.

One evening, a casualty officer and I drove down the road on our way to inform a soldier’s spouse that her husband had died in Iraq. As an Army chaplain, many thoughts entered my mind. I thought about how difficult it would be for this young mother and how empty the two childrens’ lives would be without their dad.

On our way to the house, the casualty officer had assured me that he would be able to deliver the sad news. But when we got to our destination his confidence disappeared. "Chaplain," he asked, "will you pray for me?" I placed my hand on his shoulder and began to pray. I asked God to give us the strength to perform our duty. I asked God to control our thoughts and actions and comfort the household we were about to enter. When I finished we got out of the car and with great pain did the job that we were both called to do.

It is true, Memorial Day reminds us of the soldiers who gave their lives for our country. But often we forget to also honor the families they left behind. They, too, have made the ultimate sacrifice. Military chaplains guide soldiers and their families through the "Circle of Life" from births, baptisms, confirmations, marriage, illness and death. Our role is broader than a typical civilian minister because we have to connect soldiers to God on a daily basis.

There was a time when I considered leaving the ministry. Then a friend asked me to join the military chaplaincy. It changed my life. In April 2005 – April 2006 I served as chaplain for a 600-soldier logistics battalion in Baghdad. Whoever said "there are no atheists in the foxhole" may have been absolutely right. These soldiers had to deliver supplies along the most dangerous routes in Iraq and when bombs exploded the reality of war forced many soldiers to do some very serious soul searching.

Countless soldiers came to talk to me about war, death and faith and they presented me with many perplexing theological questions: "Is God on our side and will he protect me from death?" Will God forgive me if I kill an innocent person by mistake?" "Will God be angry with me for participating in this war?" "Exactly where do we really go when we die?"

I am back home in the states now, a safe distance away from the death and war that challenges many servicemen and women in ways most people in our country will never fully understand.

As the summer months arrive, we should pause as a nation from talk about high gas prices, republican and democratic presidential candidates and the latest celebrity gossip, and instead think about the men and women who continue to fight and die in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan. It is true, war is hell, freedom is expensive, death is painful and faith still matters; especially to those in the foxhole.

One of my favorite albums is, What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye. The politically charged lyrics tell a story from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran, who returns to the country he had been fighting for, and seeing nothing but injustice, suffering and hatred.

With introspective lyrics about political and social concerns and the Vietnam War, the album is arguably Gaye’s finest work. Although the album was released in 1971 the timeless message found in the songs such as, What’s Happening Brother, is still relevant today: War is hell, when will it end, when will people start gettin’ together again...can’t find no work, can’t find no job...money is tighter than it’s ever been. Say man, I just don’t understand what’s going on across this land.

On Good Friday, April 14, 2006, my Army battalion returned to the USA after a year deployment in Baghdad. Upon my return I realized that while some things remained the same, many things had changed, too. And like Marvin Gaye, I wanted to know what’s going on?

While Congress continues to debate the Iraq war, the uncertainty of life goes on for our troops on the battlefield and those who have returned home. Fortunately, unlike many Vietnam veterans, today’s servicemen and women have come home to a hero’s welcome. When my unit returned, hundreds of family members, friends and even strangers greeted us with cheers. Spouses were holding "Welcome Home" signs. Excited children could barely be contained and the military band played a medley of patriotic songs that made us all feel like true American heroes.

A year later, however, the reality of being home has settled in. The crowds have faded away. The signs and the sounds of the band are long gone. Although we received a better welcome than our Vietnam War comrades, many Iraq war soldiers are facing similar hardships of transition back to life in the USA.

Even today, I find myself taking mental flights back to Iraq, thinking of the soldiers I counseled, the wounded troops I visited, and the prayers I directed for the safety of many military operations. And I wonder how those men and women who are still serving in Iraq are holding up? How is their morale?

Finally, I also think about the injured troops at military hospitals, such as Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. What will life be like for these brave young souls? Will they be able to bounce back from injury or be forced to live with a lifelong physical disability?

Make no mistake, we are living in a critical time period and we must demand the best from our political leaders and ourselves. It is true, in the words of Ecclesiastes 3:8, To every thing there is a season...a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.