>>>>FROM THE TRENCHES<<<< "The Stamp"

[Radio Waves]

Over the years I've had some things which stuck in my mind which I could never explain. I hated history class in the eighth grade. Most of it was boring to me but for some reason a memory which stuck out was when the teacher used maybe five minutes or less when we were studying early America to mention Jonathan Edwards. For some reason, his name stuck in my mind. Edwards was a pastor, author, educator and preacher. In about 1975 or so, I met and spent some time with another Jonathan Edwards, the singer and as such, the name was not unfamiliar with me. Then much later, I started devouring everything the original Edwards wrote including his Resolutions and his famous sermon "Sinners In The Hand Of An Angry God". When I was 10 or so, I started collecting stamps and one of the first ones made me feel "a little funny". We never talked "religious" things at my house, therefore the "funny" feelings. Over the years I remembered that stamp and wish I had it today. The origin of that stamp goes back to February 3, 1943, during World War Two. A ship, the SS Dorchester was carrying 900 US troops to Europe when a German submarine's torpedo made a direct hit, causing the Dorchester to sink in less than a half hour into a 34 degree ocean near Newfoundland. Only 230 survived but there's much, much more to the story. Aboard the ship were four Chaplains: George Fox, Alexander Goode, John Washington and Clark Poling. As men were abandoning ship, the Chaplains passed out life jackets, gloves and words of inspiration until they ran out of supplies. The four Chaplains then did something incredible...they gave up THEIR gloves, THEIR life jackets, THEIR regular jackets! The ocean was filled with men in the 34 degree water and survivors looked back at what was their darken ship when they abandoned her to discover red lights glowing around the deck which were not there before and as the Dorchester listed dangerously they heard and saw the four Chaplains locked arm in arm, singing hymns and praying out loud as they went down with the ship!!! True story, every bit of it! But wait! I can hear it and read it now..."Four Chaplains? Weren't they of different faiths? Wasn't one a Rabbi and another a Catholic Priest? How dare you bring this to a Forum about "Christianity?" "Don't you know the differences???" I do but please show me in the Bible where love for fellow man is only for Christians and to Christians. Please show me the chapter and verse which says as a Christian we are to hate and despise others because they aren't Christians? I know, for a fact, if you and I were in combat and a grenade landed between you and me, I would cover it with my body to protect you from its blast and I don't care what your label is. I've known people who've done just that and remember those exact incidents nearly daily. In 1948 a very special stamp was minted to honor those Four Chaplains. I intend to get another one. If you want to learn more about the Four Chaplains, there's an EXCELLENT video account of that very blessed incident on You Tube. Its called "The Four Chaplains-Sacrifice At Sea" Please view it!