Fri 27 Oct 2006
The average age of the American soldier in the Middle East is 22. That means that for every warrior who is 24, there is one who is 20. This is an age where a family holiday traditions are still fresh in the habits of a person. In particular, when you are in Iraq or Afghanistan these days, a time designed for peace and understanding is especially hard to put together.
I realized this recently at the Christ Lutheran Church in Valencia, as I was eating one of that church’s at-cost dinners it serves on Wednesday nights just to bring people of the community together
It is this church’s members who package the boxes sent from anyone in Santa Clarita to the soldiers under fire in Iraq and Afghanistan. I had brought a bunch of new military magazines I had found at a magazine store in the K-Mart shopping center off San Fernando Road. As a “military brat” who grew up in and around bases in my childhood, I know how the many military-history books in base libraries somehow give soldiers the strength of a historic perspective. Others that evening gave whatever they thought could not be easily found in a war zone that much of the time doesn’t even have electric power.
I have enough years of being associated with military life to know many soldiers are finding a new family in their soldierly world. Their family backgrounds may range from extremely tightly knit to virtual estrangement. There are also many former foster children who find a guiding hand in the military after the state cuts off their foster family life at their high-school graduations. But let’s face it – we could all use a mom and dad to be there for us into our adult years, even as very close friends.
Through the dedicated leadership of lay activist Karolle Blackson, the Christ Lutheran Church has filled in with some of the family-like support that soldiers overseas appreciate in a way that the rest of us in our easy lives cannot imagine. Every month go the packages and personal message from Santa Clarita to Iraq and Afghanistan.
As I observed at the outdoor dinner, the parents of the church were using this service opportunity as a teaching moment for their children. “What can we do to help our soldiers?” asked parents in a way that they made sure their children alongside then would remember that question. I couldn’t help but think that these scenes – showing people bonding to soldiers they have never met – recalls something that directors like Frank Capra used to celebrate in their movies, but which is too seldom observed today
For the readers of this article, the answer to the question of “what can we do to help our soldiers?” can be found by calling the church right now at 661-259-0200 (they answer the phone during business hours), or simply bring something to send to the church at 25816 Tournament Road in Valencia. The deadline to give gifts for the holidays is November 7. The church members then take care of all the packaging. You might find me packaging, too. However, I promise leaders of my good church there is little danger of my changing my Christian membership so long as my church creates the kind of holiday support for our soldiers as I have seen at Christ Lutheran.
- Chris Sharp
I realized this recently at the Christ Lutheran Church in Valencia, as I was eating one of that church’s at-cost dinners it serves on Wednesday nights just to bring people of the community together
It is this church’s members who package the boxes sent from anyone in Santa Clarita to the soldiers under fire in Iraq and Afghanistan. I had brought a bunch of new military magazines I had found at a magazine store in the K-Mart shopping center off San Fernando Road. As a “military brat” who grew up in and around bases in my childhood, I know how the many military-history books in base libraries somehow give soldiers the strength of a historic perspective. Others that evening gave whatever they thought could not be easily found in a war zone that much of the time doesn’t even have electric power.
I have enough years of being associated with military life to know many soldiers are finding a new family in their soldierly world. Their family backgrounds may range from extremely tightly knit to virtual estrangement. There are also many former foster children who find a guiding hand in the military after the state cuts off their foster family life at their high-school graduations. But let’s face it – we could all use a mom and dad to be there for us into our adult years, even as very close friends.
Through the dedicated leadership of lay activist Karolle Blackson, the Christ Lutheran Church has filled in with some of the family-like support that soldiers overseas appreciate in a way that the rest of us in our easy lives cannot imagine. Every month go the packages and personal message from Santa Clarita to Iraq and Afghanistan.
As I observed at the outdoor dinner, the parents of the church were using this service opportunity as a teaching moment for their children. “What can we do to help our soldiers?” asked parents in a way that they made sure their children alongside then would remember that question. I couldn’t help but think that these scenes – showing people bonding to soldiers they have never met – recalls something that directors like Frank Capra used to celebrate in their movies, but which is too seldom observed today
For the readers of this article, the answer to the question of “what can we do to help our soldiers?” can be found by calling the church right now at 661-259-0200 (they answer the phone during business hours), or simply bring something to send to the church at 25816 Tournament Road in Valencia. The deadline to give gifts for the holidays is November 7. The church members then take care of all the packaging. You might find me packaging, too. However, I promise leaders of my good church there is little danger of my changing my Christian membership so long as my church creates the kind of holiday support for our soldiers as I have seen at Christ Lutheran.
- Chris Sharp
