Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,
“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,

I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.”
“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ‘Pearl’ on a day in December,”
Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram will long remember.
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘Nam’,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue… an American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.

So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”

“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
“Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”

—–

Thank you to Pastor Kipp for sending me a copy of this touching poem. I did a little research to find out who wrote it. Here is what I found…

The International War Veterans’ Poetry Archive (IWVPA) lists this poem as a December 2000 effort authored by Michael Marks and includes the following note from him about its origins:

A Soldier’s Christmas was the first in this series of patriotic writings, drafted on Pearl Harbor Day 2000 when in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election our nation saw the right of US Armed Forces personnel openly questioned and debated. I felt it unconscionable that at the onset of the Christmas season, those serving to defend our nation would hear anything but our love and support. It is our challenge to stand for their rights at home while they stand for our lives and safety overseas. This poem went out and quickly spread around the world in emails, letters, magazines. I received letters from Marines in Bosnia, soldiers in Okinawa, from a submariner who xeroxed a copy for everyone on his sub. Moms wrote, dads, brothers and sisters. I have saved and cherish every letter and set out to continue writing throughout the year.

I would like to add a Merry Christmas, and dedicate this poem, to five courageous young men that I know who have either served or are still serving in Iraq: Luke Macauley, Luke Ruscio, Luke Willis, Justin Bronson and Mike Wilcox. You are heroes and I am proud to know you.

Technorati Tags: Christmas Poem, Iraq War

ENDICOTT–Bishop Susan W. Hassinger of the local Wyoming Conference has joined the United Methodist Church’s highest-ranking spiritual and administrative leaders in demanding an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

The anti-war message carries significance in the religious community because it comes from the leaders of the country’s and the Southern Tier’s largest mainline Protestant church, and the denomination of which President Bush is a member.

The action is aimed directly at Bush, said Donald Perry, director of communications at the Wyoming Conference office in Endicott.

Surely the rank and file members of the UM denomination don’t support such pap, right? Oh, I’m sure there’s a certain percentage of lefties in their ranks, as there seems to be no shortage of lefties among the left-leaning denominations in Greater Binghamton. But how can the majority of members let themselves be goverend by people like Bishop Hassigner? And that got me to wondering: How are the membership ranks of the UM doing? And other left-leaning denominations? I went looking and found the following interesting numbers.

Click the image to see the original website page – Source: Demographia

In 1960 the United Methodists were the second largest (by number of members) organized Christian denomination in the United States. Today? Third largest. Sorry P&SB–you’ve gotten it wrong again. United Methodists are not the largest mainline Protestant denomination in the U.S. In a 40-year span of time, the UM denomination bled off 24% of their membership. A little startling. During the same time, the conservative Southern Baptist Convention, which changed places with the UM (was third now second largest denomination) increased their membership by 67%. Hmmm, interesting, don’t you think?

How about the left-leaning Episcopal denomination? They’ve lost about 33% of their membership in that 40-year period. American Baptists (mostly liberal) are down 6%. The National Baptist Convention of America (conservative) is up 31%. Do you see a trend here?

I’m not advocating that one’s religion become a popularity contest. However, it’s plain and obvious that Americans, by and large, do not support the ideology put forth by liberal clergy like Bishop Hassinger. She certainly has the God-given right (in America, where she’s fortunate enough to live) to voice her opinion. Likewise, parishoners have the God-given right to attend a church where they agree with the leadership. It seems to me they are voting with their feet and leaving denominations like the United Methodists in large numbers.

Technorati Tags: Iraq War, United Methodist Church, Bishop Susan Hassinger, Wyoming Conference, church membership trends