Walking in the Shadow of Death

Walking in the Shadow of Death - WC: 790

Could God be trusted? US Army Chaplain David Samuelson didn’t know anymore. He’d seen enough horror in Vietnam to question it.

Seated upon the sandbag fortification on the shady side of the MASH surgery unit, David read his mother’s letter again. ‘God’s chest is big enough for our fists. David, please tell God the truth about your feelings, depression, and sorrow. He can bear it.’ He should never have shared his depressed thoughts with her. Her worry broke his heart.

Helicopter rotors sliced the air roaring as an aircraft rose into a cloudless sky to return lifeless sons and husbands home. May God have mercy, he prayed for the dead. Striding quickly to the highest, sunniest, and hottest spot in the camp, he raised both hands into the sky showing God the letter. "Lord, can you feel my fists!"

***

Minh was terrified at how close to the American perimeter wire he’d crawled. Slow, oh so slow he’d scooted through the night until he found a shallow dip in the hillside. All day he baked in the sun. A joke occurred to him. I burn to kill Americans. But the pun wasn’t funny. He hated his enemy. They were monsters coming to kill his comrades and destroy his country.

With joy he saw some fool stand in the open and raise his arms to the sky. In the cross-hairs of his rifle scope he took aim on a glint of light on the American's cheek. Tears? The man was weeping. A second glint draws Minh’s attention to a metal cross shining on the distraught man’s shirt collar. Minh halted his trigger finger and watched.

He’d been raised a Christian and attended a French Catholic school in his boyhood city, Hue - until this war. Now Minh thinks the communist were right. There was no God. Reminded of his former religion, he thought of an Old Testament story. One about King David and his enemy King Saul. Saul sought to kill David. On one of his hunts for David, Saul was sleeping in the center of his army of men. God made a deep sleep come over them. David and one other man made their way through the whole camp without awakening Saul or his army. David's man said, “Look, God has put Saul into your hands.” Whether God had put the man here or not, Minh’s enemy was centered in his sights right now.

***

Reverend David continued to cry and keep his arms raised. His silent words were violent fists meant to strike God's chest hard. To shock Him.

***

Minh continued to watch the enemy in his scope. He could see the man's lips moving. Gently he squeezed the trigger. A thought caused him to hesitate. King David refused to kill God's anointed king, Saul. This clergyman was God's anointed, too.

***

A shot rang out.

David hit the ground, waiting for more rifle bursts. None came, but men shouted and scrambled out the camp gate to capture the Viet Cong sniper. David walked down to the gate. Soon a stretcher came in. The enemy soldier was alive but wounded and bleeding. Later, on his normal rounds of the wounded, he stopped at the bed of the Viet Cong. A male nurse came over. "He's a Christian."

David cocked an eyebrow at the nurse. “And you know this how?”

"In his hand, he has a cross. It was in this kit and he kept asking for it. Wouldn't shut up until we found and gave it to him.”

The Vietnamese pointed at David's collar cross. Then he pointed to himself. Pointed a shooting finger at David. After a pause, the man shook his head, lowered his shooting finger, and pointed to the cross on David's collar again. The fellow’s eyes studied David’s face. David thought he knew what the man was saying, so he nodded. The fellow pointed to his own heart and shook his head. Then moved his finger to the wound in his side.

It puzzled David. Was the man saying God spared his life by diverting the bullet? It was true the bullet had almost missed him. His wound wasn’t serious. Why would the man thing God would spare his life? An interpreter could clarify misunderstood ideas later. For now, David nodded that he understood when he really didn’t.

The Viet Cong pointed to his own chest again and said, “Minh.”

David pointed to himself and said, “David.”

Minh’s eyes went wide. “David?” and laughed.

Why, David wondered, did this man think his name was so funny?

Kneeling beside his merciful enemy’s bed, Chaplain David prayed aloud the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my Shepherd ..."