Photo By Michael Strasser | Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Barron Wester, 10th Mountain Division (LI) chaplain, addresses the...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (May 2, 2024) -- Fort Drum community members gathered inside The Peak to share a meal, fellowship, and the power of collective prayer May 2 during the National Day of Prayer Luncheon.
The Fort Drum Religious Support Office team hosted the luncheon, which included prayers for the nation, the military, places of worship, and families.
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Barron Wester, 10th Mountain Division (LI) chaplain, asked attendees to think about the “good ol’ days,” and how problems seem to fade with the passage of time.
“It’s funny that we get this longing for the good ol’ days, this nostalgia for the old days,” he said. “A lot of times when we look back at the old days, we tend to only remember the good stuff.”
Some people talk about a better time without having lived it themselves.
“There is a word for that: anemoia,” Wester said. “It means feeling nostalgia for a time or place that you never experienced. The challenge with that is you don’t really get the full picture of what was going on.”
Wester said it is tempting to gloss over the problems of the past and remember only the positive highlights. But the truth is no one has ever lived a life where problems haven’t existed – personally, societally, nationally, and globally.
“And sometimes you will see some of us old Soldiers talk about the good old days when we didn’t have all the problems we have today,” he said. “But if we take off our rose-colored glasses and suppress this temptation to feel nostalgic for the good old days and do some research, we will find very quickly the problems of today are nothing new.”
During the War for Independence, Gen. George Washington worried about the moral behavior within the Continental Army. He appointed chaplains to address immorality in the ranks.
On opposing sides of the Civil War, a popular song called “Soldier’s Joy” basically extolled alcohol and drug abuse to get out of service.
Wester said that history has shown that spiritual renewal runs parallel to times of turmoil.
“And I want to tell you today, that I personally believe that we live in a time that is ripe for revival,” he said. “We live in a society that is fertile ground for the seeds of another great spiritual awakening.”
Wester said that when individuals experience spiritual awakening in their lives, it can have a profound effect.
“You will find yourself more focused, more committed, more determined than ever to live a life pleasing to your Creator,” he said. “You will experience the fire of revival in your own life – and guess what happens when you put an open flame too close to a pile of bone-dry tinder?”
President Harry S. Truman formalized the National Day of Prayer when he signed it into law in 1952. The annual observance respects the religious freedoms of all Americans and presents an opportunity from everyone to publicly express prayer and devotion according to their beliefs.
“Each year’s National Day of Prayer is established by presidential proclamation to encourage all Americans, of all backgrounds, to pause, to reflect, and to pray,” said Chaplain (Col.) James Key, 10th Mountain Division (LI) senior command chaplain. “On this particular day, I want you to know that our Unit Ministry Team, our chaplains here at Fort Drum, are about the business of praying not only for you, but your families as well. Please don’t hesitate to approach us wherever you see us. That’s our sole purpose.”
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2024 15:13 |
| Story ID: | 470157 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 167 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort Drum community members of all faiths observe National Day of Prayer, by Michael Strasser, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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