Hearing the Call
The mission came from Col. “Chesty” Puller himself. Lt. Paul Moore was to assault a Japanese position on the other side of the Matanikau River with his platoon of Marines. Four other units had been repulsed in the same effort. It seemed like suicide, but he didn’t hesitate.
Expecting to wade across, he and his men found themselves swimming instead. As he neared the opposite bank, he described an incredible scene: “ mortars and hand grenades going over our heads and into the water as if it were raining, with bullets striking all around us.#8221; As casualties mounted the Marines could not continue to advance. Moore finally called for his platoon to fall back. As he was trying to help one of his men to safety across the open beach under fire, an amazing thought passed through his mind:
I remember when I was leaning over trying to bring one of my men to safety seeing bullet marks in the sand around my feet and thinking, you know, it I get out of this, maybe it means I should do something special. There was a feeling—I don’t know if it’s good theology, whether it’s superstition or what, but certainly I felt that I had been extremely fortunate, and that I was, in a sense, living on borrowed time, and that this was another good reason to give my life to the Lord, and it seemed that being a priest was the way.175
Paul Moore did become an Episcopal priest and bishop after the war. I doubt that many discern their call to the priesthood in such dramatic fashion, but in every case it is a powerful calling. We are blessed that good men and women have heard and responded to this call in the past and continue to do so today. The body of Christ is made up mostly of lay people trying to do his work. Our “commissioned officers” are our priests and ministers. We need them to teach and lead us spiritually. They need our support and loyalty in return.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
—Isaiah 6:8