At peace with war: Lutheran chaplain’s book published

by Harold Ristau

While a Lutheran chaplain with the Canadian Forces (CF), I kept a journal of my thoughts and experiences during my deployments to Afghanistan.

I decided to publish the journal shortly thereafter. Not all entries could be published; some I deemed inappropriate—not only due to the kind of events they described, but also due to questions of national security, in light of the fact that our forces are still at mission.

The selection process was more difficult than it sounds. Those that I eventually selected were edited, and many of the names, places, and dates were changed. After posting them on the internet, I quickly realized what a helpful and therapeutic resource these journal entries were to families of both veterans and deceased members of the Canadian and American military. Many commented on how comforting these honest Christian reflections were to them, and how they helped them better understand the post-war emotional and spiritual struggles of friends and family returning from a theatre of war. I eventually turned the diary into a kind of devotional and added prayers with this readership in mind.

In a review of the book, President Robert Bugbee of Lutheran Church–Canada said this: “Christian people and their pastors can learn here about how tenets of the faith are not just ideas on paper, but actually leap to life when seen through the lens of fear, boredom, separation from loved ones, and the ever-present threat of death… If you’re looking for systematic theology or an author claiming to be a hero, you’ve come to the wrong place with this book. But if you want to meet a workaday chaplain showing how faith and soldiering can walk together, I highly recommend At Peace with War very highly indeed.”

I hope that it serves both as a resource for the Church and as a way of honouring chaplains and CF members who have served overseas. For this reason, all royalties and proceeds from the book will go to the Haiti Lutheran Mission Society, remembering that our troops were recently deployed to that proverty-stricken country. The book is available on Amazon.ca, and can also be ordered directly from Wipf and Stock. Canadian orders from Wipf and Stock need to be sent by email to orders@wipfandstock.com.

——————–

Padre Harold Ristau is a chaplain with the Canadian Armed Forces.

Print this article