Columbia professor, Andrew Delbanco, has memorably said, “Before the Civil War people believed in the providence of God. After the war, they believed in luck.”
Ambrose Bierce is best known for his satirical work, The Devil’s Dictionary. He experienced the brutal fighting at the Battle of Shiloh.
Allen Guelzo in his fine new book, Fateful Lightning, mentions a soldier who was “shot in the head but still alive.” Guelzo proceeds to add the graphic and oft quoted observation Bierce supplied of the scene. Here is just a bit:
“…taking in his breath in convulsive, rattling snorts, and blowing it out in sputters of froth which crawled creamily down his cheeks…”
There is a lot of reality to process when it comes to horrific events like the Civil War. As Christians, we need to be ready to offer thoughtful, compassionate, and honest reflections to life’s most vexing issues.
To me, the most powerful refutation of the glory of war comes from Bierce’s short story “Chickamauga” in which a six-year old Southern boy comes across a gruesome parade of wounded soldiers retreating from the action and proceeds to lead them with his toy sword in hand. The unflinching descriptions of the dead and dying in this short tale are not easy to read, but it is necessary on occasion to face horror rather than denying its existence. Unfortunately, most of our finest fiction writers have been both eager and accurate in portraying evil in the world, but seldom point to any ultimate reasons or solutions.
Honesty seems particularly important. That is one of the strengths of the Bible. It shows us people who are genuinely grappling with and even having a hard time coming to grips with difficult issues in their lives.
Dave: Thanks for the mention of the Bierce piece. Sounds worth reading.
John: Indeed. Everyone has to “make sense” of these atrocities. It is not easy for anyone, but Christians have some big explanatory advantages.