A Greater Fellowship
As the hour for the invasion of Italy drew near, life on a troopship made vivid impressions on Cpl. William “Bicky” Kiessel. The compartments were dark, hot, and smelly, with crowded, unwashed bodies. The heavy air was mixed with other foul odors. The folding cots were stacked four high with almost no room to walk. Fortunately, religious services were also memorable in a more positive way:
The energetic chaplains are busy holding services all hours of the day on the various deck levels. Fellows are trying to catch up on years of neglected religion in a few days. And it can be done and is! The Catholics have Mass, Communion and Confessions while the Protestants preach little, pray much, and sing the favorite hymns of the Church… At all these sacred gatherings there is a sincerity and informality that makes for a better and greater fellowship and gives a deeper sense of the intangible value of friends, home, and the eternal verities of life… In those services we all wish we’d lived better, been more complimentary and less critical, written home more lovingly and more often, etc. We are finally face to face with life…223
Kissel ended his letter with the statement, “ Christians never say goodbye. Sooner or later we all meet again.” This eloquent young soldier obviously was sustained by his faith through difficult times. In his letter, however, he alludes to another aspect of religious worship. Participation in services not only strengthened him personally, but also strengthened the bonds of fellowship with the other soldiers in his unit. This is a great testimony to the power of the body of Christ, which manifests itself whenever Christians come together. We are each able to lead a more victorious life when we are supported and surrounded by our brothers and sisters in Christ.
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
—Romans 12:5