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CLERGY PROVIDING COMFORT FROM CNN WAR
COVERAGE
By A J Nseir
With CNN broadcasting images of war around the clock, people across the country are turning off their TVs, and opening their church doors.Daily press conferences, coverage of the incessant bombings that light up the sky over Iraq, reporters “embedded” with the troops, on the front lines; these are the dominating images seen on TV across the country. So far, the U.S. and coalition forces suffered at least 47 confirmed casualties.
It’s virtually impossible to turn on the TV, log on to the Internet or pick up a newspaper without being bombarded with visions and numbers from the war in Iraq. Now more than ever, Americans see what war is really like, and for many, it is that much harder to handle. When they turn off the TV, many people turn a familiar guide, their church.
Father Jon Nosel, of St. Michael’s Orthodox Church, Greensburg, PA said the church exists for guidance during times of war.
“It is important when the country is at war that the people have somewhere to go to seek answers or even give them,” Nosel said. “It is just as important for those who attend my church to come see me for advice, as it is for them to give it to their fellow churchgoers.”
Mike Armanius, a member of St. Michael’s Orthodox Church, said he saw the church as an escape from the harsh realities of war.
“We watch the bombings and all of the visions of war on TV all week long, and going to church every Sunday makes coping with all of that so much easier, it puts everything in perspective,” Armanius said.
In a recent Washington Post article, Pastor Robert M. Norris, of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, Bethesda, MD, said the church’s responsibility consists of deciding what the people need to know.
During mass the Sunday after the initial bombs were dropped, Norris decided to comfort his congregation with psalms, instead of preaching to them about whether war is right or wrong.
Soothing concerns as opposed to expelling political views is a course many are taking when preparing their sermon for the Sunday service.
Sarah Perman, Rabbi at the Congregation of Emmanuel Israel, in Latrobe, PA, said she tries to be an objective guide.
“They hear political views all week long from the news,” Perman said. “When they come to me, they want someone who is going to ease their stress, and help them understand why events like this happen.”