Sgt. Richard Kirkland was a Confederate soldier in the US Civil War
(1861–1865). When the Union’s failed charge at Marye’s Heights during the Battle
of Fredericksburg left wounded soldiers abandoned in no-man’s land, Kirkland
got permission to help them. Collecting canteens, he leaped the stone wall and
bent over the first soldier to lend assistance. At great personal risk, the
“Angel of Marye’s Heights” extended the mercy of Christ to enemy soldiers.
While few of us will face an enemy on the battlefield, those who suffer
can be found all around us—people struggling against loneliness, loss, health
issues, and sin. Their cries, muted by our many distractions, plead for mercy
and comfort, for hope and help.
Kirkland’s example of Christlike compassion put action to Jesus’ command
to “love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44). Paul expanded on that theme when he quotes
Proverbs 25:21, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
a drink” (Rom. 12:20). “Do not be overcome by evil,” he instructed us, “but
overcome evil with good” (v.21).
Paul’s challenge compels us to emulate Sgt. Kirkland. Today is the day
for us to “leap the wall” of safety to lend comfort from God to those in need.
Kindness is in our power even when fondness is not. – Samuel Johnson (RBC)
