Spiritual warfare at a season of peace

  • Published
  • By Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Ron Harvell
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing chapel
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  These are interesting times we are living in. The spiritual culture of our nation is being redefined in our midst. 

Secularists want a nation where faith and religion are removed from any public forum and confined to private life alone. Others insist on the constitutional right of free speech and free exercise of religion. 

These philosophies exist in our society both outside and inside our gate. Our focus at McConnell is to honor the principle of sensitivity to all faiths and to encourage the free expression of faith. 

For the vast majority of Americans our faith is the foundation and core of our make up. It is therefore impossible to compartmentalize faith out of lives. It would be like asking someone to come to work without their circulatory system. 

In our nation of freedoms, no one should feel disrespected because of their spiritual beliefs - no one should fear being treated differently because of their religion, and no one should live in the United States unable to share their faith at work, school or home. 

While stationed in Baghdad this summer, I had the privilege to meet both Shiite Muslims and Christians who live and worship in Baghdad. 

All of them had stories of lost loved ones due to supporting the efforts to rebuild their nation. Some of the mosques and all of the Christian churches had been bombed by terrorists, yet they still attended worship every week because their faith was that important to them, and it was not private. 

They longed for the days when they could worship without fear of reprisals and were thankful for our efforts to make that happen. 

I wonder what we are willing to fight for, live for and die for here at home? I believe we have an opportunity here in the middle of our own battle for religious freedom to win an important war. 

Let's turn this thing around here at McConnell. Pray for spiritual renewal in your own life, for those that you know, and for the Wing as a whole. 

Express your faith in a way that is respectful and does not adversely impact good order and discipline. 

Put a Menorah, Crescent or Nativity Set in your workspace. Say Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah! 

Attend worship services. We have 35 different holy day events sponsored by the chapel. 

These are days we as a nation celebrate the fact that we are a faith based society. 

Let us win the war against secularization through love, joy, peace, service, and truth. 

Have a great holy-day season!
You are loved - God bless you!