The Padre and the Old Sergeant

http://steven.newton1.home.att.net/ ^ | 2005 | Steven J. Newton

[Steve Newton]

ON THE OTHER SIDE The Padre and the Old Sergeant

The Padre was sitting in his office struggling with a religious problem. He never knew how to adequately talk with a soldier that was dying. He would say all the right words and comfort them as best he could but he always felt an inadequacy trying to explain where they were going after death. And many of them wanted to know.

[Steve Newton]

ON THE OTHER SIDE The Padre and the Old Sergeant

The Padre was sitting in his office struggling with a religious problem. He never knew how to adequately talk with a soldier that was dying. He would say all the right words and comfort them as best he could but he always felt an inadequacy trying to explain where they were going after death. And many of them wanted to know.

He had discussed this with his peers and with the Chaplain Service but none had given him an answer that he could use. It was one thing to talk in a sterile environment with nothing to lose but it was quite another to be actually sitting with someone who was about to meet their Creator.

The Padre finally called on the old sergeant one evening when he knew he would not be busy. In fact after he knocked and entered the sergeants office he noticed that he was having his usual cigar and a bottle of Jack sat on the desk. “Pappy, do you mind?”

A little surprised the sergeant pulled out another glass and filled it for the padre. “Must be a BIG problem padre. What can I do to help?”

As the padre explained his problem the sergeant got a far away look in his steel gray eyes. “Padre, you know I’m no saint. But let me tell you what my mother used to say about dying and where you go afterward. Maybe it will help. She used to tell me this story:”

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door when on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining. As he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.”

“I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough."

As the old sergeant finished he took a look at the padre. “You see padre, I don’t wonder anymore about where I’m going after I die. All I know is that my Master is there and that is where I want to be. I hope that helps padre.”

The padre sat back in his chair and for a long time they sat in a companionable silence. The Padre finished his drink and finally got up to leave. “You know your mother was a very smart lady?”

“Yeah,” the sergeant said. “I know.”

Steve Newton

This story was inspired by an e-mail I received. Author unknown.

All the “Old Sergeants” are fictional

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