To Protect and Defend...

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

The above oath is still extraordinarily moving to me. I feel chills when I have been in the presence of a man, or woman, who affirms these words. Vowing to protect and defend others against all enemies is a not just a selfless promise: there are the very real potentials for harm to oneself. When we promise to champion others, at risk of our own lives, we are called to a higher and nobler purpose. I have been exceptionally blessed by the example of the most instrumental men in my life: my father was an active member of the New York City Mounted Police Auxiliary, as well as a volunteer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's office. My father in law is a retired New Hampshire Fire Chief. Finally, my husband was an Army Ranger for the first part of our marriage. I was able to learn from their experiences, and came to realize that the act of service was far more meaningful than the simple putting on of a uniform. The uniform was, simply, an outward expression of inward commitment to assisting others.

Promising to protect others, even at the risk of our own safety, is the ultimate act of bravery. But, do all people need to a firefighter or a police officer to make a difference to others? While members of all the many branches of service do an enormous credit to others, some of the most courageous souls are the ones who have protected the defenseless, knowing they will have no back up, no orders from commanding officers and no master strategy. In his powerful novel, "The Book Thief", Markus Zusak unfolds a story, narrated by Death himself. Slowly, creatively and lyrically, the author weaves a tale around a German family during the Second World War. The characters are quirky, courageous, ironic and deeply committed to seeing all human beings as equal, in a society that inspires fear. For the Hubermann family, and their foster daughter, Leisel Meminger, the war becomes personal. While each member of the family responds to the violence around them in a unique way, they also each exhibit profound courage in their insistence to live ethically, in a morally skewed world. They truly embody Jesus' words in the Gospel of John: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." In the Hubermann family's case, they were willing to lay down their lives for strangers, as well as friends. As all of mankind should believe, strangers do not require less of our humanity than people we know.

In modern society, few of us will be called to make the kinds of sacrifices that men and women in the Armed forces will. Few of us will shelter those who are facing murder in the streets. But, all of us can look deep within to discover the true meaning of the words "to protect and defend" in our own lives. For some of us, this might mean rallying around a cause that is important to basic human dignity. It may well mean stepping out of our comfort zone of not getting involved, just because it doesn't impact us personally. It might be fundraising for a charity that is doing noble and powerful work among those less fortunate. There are people who would rather face a battlefield than elicit donations for critical services. We may be called to help someone directly, by providing guidance, shelter or simply a safe person to talk to. We may be required to step out of moderation and into standing up for another, whose voice cannot be heard. When we stand up for someone who has no ability to protect herself, we stand up for all of humankind.

In closing, I'd like to share this poem that Martin Neimoller wrote at the end of the World War II. Neimoller was a Lutheran minister and, initially a political supporter of Adolph Hitler. However, as he witnessed the horror of daily life, his neighbors vanishing, and his friends being arrested, Neimoller began to speak out against the injustice he saw all around him. In turn, he himself was arrested and sent to the Dachau Concentration Camp. He wrote this poem upon his liberation:

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists,
And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists,
And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews,
And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . .
And by that time there was no one left to speak up."


Speak up for those who have no voice in the face of oppression. It takes a great deal of courage, but ultimately, you will be speaking up for the essence of what it means to be human.