Aid and Comfort

Remember what I said about the first week of classes? "Anabaptist Tuesday" did me in. Between the syllabus from my Quaker New Testament prof. (a lovely woman named Julie), and our favorite Mennonite Trevor's requirements for Ethics, I'm now officially swamped.

I started a new project here at Seabury yesterday; collecting "comfort care" items to be sent to men and women serving in the military, in Iraq and Afghanistan. Announcing this in chapel yesterday earned me some odd looks from a few folks; oh, well. Regardless of how we feel about the war, the fact remains that there are thousands of young men and women who find themselves far from home, in a hostile, dangerous environment. Most of them are young enough to be my children; each one is somebody's precious son or daughter, and all are beloved of God. That's true of people on both sides of the conflict, I know; but the U. S. troops are the ones I can help, directly. They need our support and care, in prayer and in action.

So I've set a basket by the kiosk, and posted a list of items recommended by the Salvation Army, along with requests from an Airborne Infantry unit currently stationed in Afghanistan (one of my parish "kids" just finished his 3-year hitch a few months ago; his old unit is now overseas). They are things which are both needed and appreciated: toiletries, playing cards, snacks. If you're interested in doing something similar where you live, call your local Salvation Army, and they'll tell you how. Good folks.