I ran into a chaplain today who works over at "the compound" (Special Forces compound) nearby. I told him that I would love to serve one day in the 10th SF Group out at Ft. Carson, CO, which combines the opportunity to love on SF soldiers with the opportunity to do lots of work in Africa, which is the focus of this group. By the way, I love Africa! And my wife doesn't mind it either.
"That's interesting," he told me, "because I am a chaplain with the 10th SF Group."
We ended up talking in a heated chow shack for the better part of two hours. This older brother and I share a similar heart. His idea of fun is to either church plant (which he did for over a dozen years), serve with "special" groups in the military (which he does now), and do long-term missionary work (which he'll probably do after his time with the SF).
Likewise, my idea of fun is working with a church plant (which is basically what our church is back home), serving as a chaplain--particularly with the SF, and doing mission work in Africa. While the work of shepherding a flock over the course of decades is vital, my heart (and that of this older chaplain) is for the front-line work--evangelism, apologetics, field services, etc.
This chaplain's work has been very hard. A much higher percentage of these soldiers are killed or wounded than other units. The frequency and intensity of the work of these soldiers can take a toll on their marriages (though the stats are not as dire as I thought). This chaplain has suffered quite a bit in his life, which makes his more accessible to his soldiers and more capable of handling death. Even so, he has been deployed three times in the past five years (probably because he's so good, in part). Some of his kids are older; some are teenagers. His wife misses him. And no matter how capable one is at dealing with death, it never gets easy.
Thankfully, though the SF will continue to be more employed than the rest of the Army, the draw down should cut back on these deployments as well.
Even with all of the hardships, this chaplain loves his work. The difficulty has continually driven him back to the cross, where he has found the balm needed for his soul in Jesus Christ.
Excellent PT and a tab or two (Ranger, SF, Airborne, etc.) earns a chaplain the right to start the conversation with these soldiers, this chaplain told me. But ultimately, these soldiers need a mature chaplain who will not BS them. And that is the only one they will listen to. The chaplain for these soldiers also needs to know what a dummy he is. There are some chaplains who are so hyped about the tabs and the nature of the work that they lose their identity as a chaplain. These soldiers don't need another SF operator--they need a pastor. It turns out that one of his favorite passages is 1 Tim. 1:15-16 (my favorite), that explains that God chooses the worst of sinners to display His unlimited patience. Amen.
It was on this last point that we seemed to find our deepest rapport. He knew of the Ragnar Relay race we had here and was impressed that I coordinated it. He had seen the advertisements for the "No BS BS," which he found refreshing, and was glad that it was my brainchild, by God's grace. But it was our resonance on that passage from 1 Timothy that drew us tighter. Many young chaplains are all about the tabs, or are obsessed with relevance, or still carry with them the arrogant idealism that comes after seminary. I still struggle with each of those things. But I know my struggle and I am pained by it and find my only comfort for it in the Gospel.
He was also encouraged that I would drop all of this in a second for my wife and children, if need be. The precious flock in my home must always be my primary ministry and first in my heart.
This chaplain gave me his personal email address and wants to stay in contact, as well as put me in contact with other chaplains from the same community. If, in God's grace, this helps pave the way for a spot serving our SF soldiers down the road, that would be wonderful. If nothing else, I have an older brother who has experienced everything I might experience as a chaplain and can testify to me of God's unending faithfulness.
And that's what a young, arrogant sinner saved by grace like me needs. I need those who have progressed further on this pilgrim journey to our heavenly promised land to remind me of the glory that awaits in Christ Jesus and the grace He grants along the way. We all need that.
I needed that conversation more than I knew. Thank You, Lord, for granting that to me in these final days of this deployment in Your marvelous providence.
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