Father John Patrick Mulcahy, the chaplain on M*A*S*H: To my sense the ideal military chaplain. In the movie and first couple of TV episodes, he was the typical Hollywood/Culver City buffoon of a religious figure. When William Christopher – a good Methodist – took over the part, he created a character of authenticity and substance.
Thoroughly the Roman Catholic priest, when Cpl. Cupcake, the service dog, came in wounded and his handler asked for prayer, Mulcahy asks, “What kind of dog is he?” “German Shepherd.” “Must be Lutheran.” Col. Potter comes on Post, “Can you do Methodist, Padre?” “Piece of cake!” He did say his “Baptist” lacked a certain “enthusiasm.”
The mother brought her infant to the 4077th requesting a bris (circumcision). The father was a Jewish GI. The doctors handled the surgery; Father Mulcahy consulted, by Morse code, with a Jewish Chaplain on a carrier off the coast, and pulled off the service in pretty fair Hebrew.
Chaplains are never required to violate our religious scruples. We’re not permitted to prosthelytize, but we serve all faiths. What we do, is to represent the presence of God among those in often dangerous and trying situations. Even for those with no faith to speak of, we are an ear, a shoulder, a hand – doing what God might well do in the circumstance: Forgiving, assuring, challenging.
The festival of Hanukkah has run from 8th to 15th December.
Not a major Jewish observance – more so now as a counterpoint to our Christmas. (Some of my Jewish friends celebrate both. Lucky stiffs!) Happy Festival of Light.
I borrow one of their Hanukkah prayers:
Almighty God: We thank Thee for the miracles Thou hast wrought for Thy people…throughout the ages. The light over Thine altar shines anew, reminding us that Thou art ever near when Thy children call upon Thee. O fill our hearts with the courage and faith of the Macabees, that we may truly carry forward the light which they rekindled, the light of truth and justice, the light of liberty and peace. Let that light shine into our souls now…
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!
Pastor Doug Campbell is a retired Lutheran pastor and a member of Faith, Wilmington. He currently is supplying pulpits in the Southern Ohio Synod. He was formerly Deputy Wing Chaplain for the Civil Air Patrol in Ohio. Before seminary he worked for the Chillicothe (O) Gazette, and as the editor of the Chanute AFB newspaper in Rantoul, Illinois.
