The Black Madonna

At the end of Mass today, the organist seemed like she didn't want to stop playing after the second verse of the recessional, even though the celebrant and the rest of the altar servers had gotten to the back of the church already. As I sang another stanza of the popular hymn, I choked up, guessing why she was so insistant we finish with the third verse.

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife.
Who more than self the country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

Even if the war in Iraq didn't qualify as Just War (something I don't think can be determined with certitude), the continued presence of American troops in the country, defending her people from insurgent Ba'athists and foreign terrorists, is clearly an act of compassion and mercy at least as important as drawing out and eliminating the Islamofascist enemy we face and demoralizing his supporters.

Every death of one of our troops truly proves him a hero in liberating strife. The nobleness of this sacrifice will be proven in time, but it will all be for naught if we don't repel the naysayers and doombringers attempting to invalidate the successes and reverse the gains by encouraging the enemy to continue the conflict.

We must remind the Christians among those who waver in the face of the mounting losses that every death now is a martyrdom. For even those in Iraq who don't believe in helping the Iraqis (we should), even those who don't believe they are protecting America (they are), are staying and fighting to defend their brothers in arms.

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. - John 15:13

We must stay in the fight, stand true to our principles, and stand up for our friends. We must not lose heart now - as Jan Freeman tells us, when the late Ray Charles sang these words, America was already blessed.

God done shed his grace on thee
He crowned thy good, yes he did, with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

Sing it, Brother Ray.