My grandfather\u2019s nickname was \u201cBoots\u201d Furlow. I think of him every time Veterans\u2019 Day comes up.\u00a0 He flew a Corsair during WWII in the Pacific. He was a wingman to Joe Foss, one of the United States\u2019 greatest aces. Granddad, as I use to call him, earned his nickname because he was always prepared, having his boots on, ready to fly at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n
I like to think that his spirit of being ready and being personally available is what drives me in my own vocation as an Episcopal priest. Priestly life is, I think, one that works amidst the circumstance and adversity that we encounter in the day-to-day, God always present. While we can\u2019t be all things to all people, I think baptized Christians are asked to consider the way God presents his or herself in our day-to-day lives, with our families, with friends, and especially our neighbors who are very different from us. It is that sense of God being in our midst that allows me to see others as a gift. My baptism also drives me to become more engaged and more aware of this gift, and how to respond in compassion, honesty, and a deep sense of reverence for humanity.<\/p>\n
In 2007, I buried my grandfather in Arlington cemetery. He was laid next to someone about my age, a veteran of the Iraq war. For a brief moment, while putting my things away, I hoped that some day my grandfather might be famous for something other than war. The wariness of war can get to anyone, I think. I know that it was not easy for granddad either.<\/p>\n
I am proud of granddad and his service as a veteran, but I\u2019m even more thankful of the opportunity to know him as Boots Furlow. I want to be ready prayerfully to serve: to respond to the sacredness of life in front of me. I am happy that Veterans\u2019 Day reminds me of that deep spiritual desire to serve in reverence of others.<\/p>\n
Mark Furlow<\/p>\n
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My grandfather\u2019s nickname was \u201cBoots\u201d Furlow. I think of him every time Veterans\u2019 Day comes up.\u00a0 He flew a Corsair during WWII in the Pacific. He was a wingman to Joe Foss, one of the United States\u2019 greatest aces. Granddad, …<\/p>\n