Esprit de corps and Camaraderie 

    "The common spirit existing in the members of a group and inspiring enthusiasm, devotion, and strong regard for the honor of the group"

Most of us talk too much, and listen too little. Animals are social creatures, even those animals without backbones...have a tendency to "clump" together (even simple life that can only be seen via magnifying glass or microscope). It is rare to find an isolated/hermit insect...one all alone. Where you find one fly, you'll usually find several. The best definition I have ever heard to define marriage, usually involving only two individuals, and at one time they were strictly of opposite sex (now anything goes, and most young people are transsexual and will try anything). Flies on a screen door...those inside wanting to get out, those outside wanting to get in; so accounts for a 50% divorce rate, even among "so-called" Christians.

My ancestors did not have "carbon-dating", they did not "hook-up" online, or even have arranged marriages. In the days of my grandparents, before the invention of motor vehicles (cars), a young man might actually visit a young woman by horseback or bicycle. His only contact with members of the opposite sex was through the school house or Church House. IF a young man saw a girl to whom he was not related, and to whom he was visually attracted, he would probably have made some sort of contact with her...simply to see if she were also attracted to him.

Families from many miles apart, usually knew each other. They knew which families were respectable. My grandfathers said they went to the fathers' of my grandmothers and asked for them. My father went to my mother's father, and asked for her. Thus a camaraderie resulted between the two, resulting in camaraderie between the families...so our civilized cultures and societies grew. There were no movie magazines, and very few books or magazines of any type that would cause anyone to become dissatisfied with the decision they had made. In my lifetime, divorce was very infrequent. My mother, her mother, etc. had no place to go if things did not work out in their marriage. There was a large family at home, and parents were happy to see their sons and daughters start homes of their own, families of their own.

Male or female, good times or bad times...from families, communities, churches...they all learned to survive...psychologically, socially, and physically. It meant something when they were told that they were forever sealed in matrimony, for better or for worse. Most always it got worse, not better; but the love of one's children had a way of smoothing everything out. Very often, if a young mother died, her husband would marry one of her sisters. This happened many times in my own family.

Perhaps the greatest, real, non-counterfeit, actions of human beings...their need for one another...to associate/defend/support. I believe the need for camaraderie , outside family, started with sports teams. The greatest force in the defense of our country is the "Esprit de corps" between members of a fighting unit. This old soldier found that men really and truly have a love and responsibility for one another on the battle field. In my early years, as a medical field-grade officer, I was a member of the staff of the Army hospital where the WAC center was located (Wilmington's Army Corp). It probably seems impossible in today's "don't ask, don't tell" society. But military men and women were segregated. It is impossible for me to believe that men and women can live together, much less fight together; but that is what political correctness has done for our nation, and that is why our nation will never again win a war. Other nations have tried it...Israel, China, Russia...it does not make sense. We have a military now that has forgotten camaraderie, esprit de corps, and common sense. We have stupid élites/socialists/military who believe they are able to pass out sandwiches with one hand and shoot at people with the other.

I get so tired of repeating what I have said; yet, I know that I speak clearly. I find this true with employees, with associates, even with friends. Most people hear just what they want to hear...just remembering a word here and there. Can you even imagine how tired parents/physicians/pastors, even our blessed Lord, get when speaking to those who will not listen. Our minds are so flooded/bombarded with material coming from every direction. I think of how exasperated my father must have become when repeating things to me, but my father had the good sense to know that I had an active mind, and was thinking all the time, reading everything...why should I have been concerned with one of his hogs, or his plows! We never reach an age where God is not aware of our every thought....so no use in thinking we can hide something from him.

It is only in the grip of God's omnipotent hands, with any method he may choose to use, that he will straighten us out. Many have asked me a declarative/simple definition of a Christian. Try this: a Christian is a believer in the power/grace/mercy/love of Jesus Christ, and commits to Christian actions in a large city at midnight, where no one knows him as they do in his hometown, the same as he may at midday, where he is known by all. True camaraderie, in the family, at the activities of the church, school, is so obvious/evident when we have the respect for one another to know that "in spite of ourselves, God still love's us."