With Our Fighting Men / The story of their faith, courage, endurance in the Great War

by William E. Sellers

And now it is time to sum up this chapter. What is the general impression that it leaves?

The whole scene is weird in the extreme. Darkness hangs over the trenches. The work is done for the most part at night. When those of us at home are sleeping, our brothers and sons at the front are charging with the bayonet through the deep darkness. Others are quietly moving backwards and forwards—backward with the wounded, forward with food and reinforcements. Snow and rain and frost! Shrapnel, and rifle fire, and "Jack Johnsons"! Day after day, week after week, even month after month! The monotony of the day must be fearful, the horrors of the night recall the descriptions of the Inferno. I do not wonder that, in some cases, nerves have given way, and men have had to be carried to the rear suffering from complete nervous collapse.

But courage has never failed, though nerves have become unstrung. There used to be a story told in Aldershot of an officer who was about to take part in his first battle. His legs were trembling so that he could hardly sit his horse. He looked down at his shaking legs and said, "You're shaking, are you? and you would shake more if you knew where I was going to take you to-day, so let us get on." That is the highest courage, which realises and fears and yet goes.

This courage our soldiers in the trenches have possessed in the highest degree. The charge brought against them is that they have exposed themselves to the fire of the enemy. I do not wonder. They intend to "get on," however much they fear.

And through it all, as Tommy would say, they have "kept smiling." Wet through to the skin, or nipped by frost; sleepless for days together, only getting provisions replenished by night, comrades falling by their side! But they have "kept smiling."

And what about the Christian soldier? He has had all these qualities—for to none of his comrades is he inferior in courage. But he has had another—an added quality. Something—Someone—who has given him peace in the midst of privation and danger; Someone who has enabled him to exult in the battle. He has had a light in the darkness possessed by none else.

As I have written this chapter the words of Isaiah have been continually in my mind,—"But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time hath he made it glorious.... The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

Our soldiers have been called to walk in darkness but they have seen a great Light. They, too, have dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, and upon them also hath the Light shined. And so there is no "gloom" for them. It may be night all around, but the sun shines upon them, and it is always day.

The problem of death has been greatly puzzling us at home—the death of thousands of our best young manhood. Goethe says, "The spectacle of nature is always new, for she is always renewing the spectators. Life is her most exquisite invention; and death is her expert contrivance to get plenty of life." We probe into his meaning, and during these months begin to understand.