What is it that would make a person disavow anything of supreme value?
Why would a son or daughter disdain father or mother? Why would a citizen turn his or her back on their country? Why would a fool say in his heart, "there is no God?" Or a chosen nation choose to look away from the one who chose them?
I have never been a big fan of fiction. I'm not sure why. I remember reading several books about Jim Thorpe when I was a boy. I recall one book about a man who worked with Tigers that I must have read a dozen times, yet I don't recall it's name. Yet when it came to the "classics" or the have-to-read books in school I slogged my way through them with shear agony. Perhaps that is why I have shunned fiction for the most part.
That does not mean I ignore all fiction. I enjoy the writings of Martin Bell, Calvin Miller, and those types. But to venture much beyond that, I get heavy eyed quickly. So recently during a trip to Border's I forced myself to pick up a book that has a collection of short stories. I felt like I should broaden my horizons and short stories seemed a manageable way of doing that.
My first selection was The Man Without a Country by Edward Everett Hale. My confession is, just a couple pages in and I was ready to confirm my beliefs about fiction, but I forced myself to continue and what a blessing it has been. It was first published in the Atlantic Monthly, December of 1863. It's the story of "Nolan".
Candidly, I'm not certain the full scope of what lead up to it, but at the end of what we would call a Court Marshall, Nolan made this statement, "Damn the United States! I wish I may never hear of the United States Again!"
And so it was. His sentence was that he was to never hear, nor see, nor be exposed to, in any fashion, the United States, "homeland", or any reference thereto, for the rest of his life. That sentence was carried out with him being confined, for the most part, on one naval vessel after the other, sailing the seas port after port for a good portion of his adult life.
At first, even for the first several years, Nolan was arrogant about his sentence, just as most people are who disdain things and then begin to realize that the consequence of their action may be more severe than they had imagined. Then it wasn't long and that arrogance turned to a deep sense of mourning, for he realized a man without a country is no man at all. Just as a person without a family, or a person without a God is no person at all.
One day, after an experience freeing some "slaves" from another ship, Nolan came to realize the severity of his loss and he turned to the then young Mr. Hale and said, "Youngster, let that show you what it is to be without a family, without a home, without a country. And if you are ever tempted to say a word or to do a thing that shall put a bar between you and your family, your home, and your country, pray God in His mercy to take you that instant home to His own heaven. Stick by your family boy; forget you have a self, while you do everything for them....And for your country boy, and for that flag, never dream a dream but of serving her as she bids you...behind officers and government, and people even, there is the Country Herself, your Country, and that you belong to her as you belong to your own mother."
What passion emanates from so great a loss. What he once "damned" is now what he is hopelessly devoted to, but forever estranged from physically. Does that matter? I would think, without question, it matters.
I'm not sure how the story ends, I'll get there. But right now, what I've come to know is that it hooked me. But more than that it reminded me that I want to be sure to: Tell God every day that I love Him; remember to call my Mom every week and tell her that I love her; to continue to be hopelessly in love with my wife; and be proud that I am an American.
God Bless the United States of America and the strength of family.
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