THE MAN IN THE ARENA

Just pray that I shall be adequate.

When I was a young man, my army chaplain father told me a true story about 672 men who perished in the middle of the night during World War II. On January 23, 1943, the SS Dorchester departed New York City harbor, heading east across the icy North Atlantic with more than nine hundred servicemen on board. Most were newly trained American soldiers on their way to Europe to serve in the war. Four of these men — Methodist minister Rev. George Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Reformed Church minister Rev. Clark Poling, and Roman Catholic priest Father John Washington — were recently commissioned army chaplains who worked hard to keep up the morale of the troops in a ship claustrophobically packed to capacity.

Close to one o'clock on the morning of February 3, a German submarine spotted the Dorchester 150 miles from the coast of Greenland and fired three torpedoes toward its middle. One of the torpedoes struck the starboard side far below the waterline, causing irreparable damage and immediately killing scores of men. The entire vessel would sink to the bottom of the Atlantic within thirty minutes. The captain gave the order to abandon ship. In the pandemonium that followed, men searched for life jackets and rafts in the dark, desperately trying to save their lives.

The four chaplains, who had organized a variety show in the enlisted men's galley earlier that evening, quickly went into action, quietly and calmly guiding men in the blackened ship. They led their fellow soldiers to where they could evacuate the vessel, opened a deck locker filled with extra life jackets, and distributed them to the panicked soldiers. They gave up their gloves and hats; eventually, when there were no more life jackets, the four chaplains took off their own vests and made others put them on. Witnesses such as Sergeant Kenzel Linaweaver of the 304th Infantry and Robert C. Williams recounted that it was the most astonishing act of courage they ever saw. Two men already floating in the oily water, Sergeant Thomas Myers and Private First Class John O'Brien, remembered hearing screams of panic from the men still on board, followed by words of courage and hope from the chaplains. At last glimpse, the four chaplains were seen arm in arm, singing and praying together as the Dorchester slipped under water.

My father, Calvin Causey, knew Clark's father, Dan Poling, personally. Once, on a walk together, Poling explained to my father that he had spoken to Clark a few days before the Dorchester set sail. The young army lieutenant told his father, "Please do not pray for my safe return; that wouldn't be fair. Just pray that I shall be adequate." My own father choked up before he could finish the story. "The four chaplains were more than adequate," he said softly. "They did their duty."

* * *

What would inspire men to take off their life jackets, give them to other men, and go down with the ship? It is obvious that, in a very short time, the four chaplains had developed a very robust identity as servants of God. That identity and their calling to serve shaped them more than the very natural instinct of self-preservation. No doubt, not all four men had the same courage that night, but witnessing each other's bravery and fortitude bound them together in a united mission to serve their fellow soldiers.

As men, our main purpose in life radiates around taking care of other people: our immediate families, our work associates, the communities we are part of, our aging parents. Like the four army chaplains, we are called to serve others and lead by example, to occupy our space and not shrink back from it. Trust comes from delivering on our promises and commitments. When men speak encouraging words to others and perform deeds of valor, they become everything the Master made them to be, and they encourage other men to do the same.

King David declared in Psalm 19:13-14, "Keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins. ... Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight." David knew both his words and his deeds were evident to God, and he wanted them to be pleasing to Him.

Here is the three-point premise of this book:

• The words we say as men are very important.

• The deeds we do as men are equally vital.

• Aligning our words and deeds is crucial for an impactful life.

Deeds

So what is meant by words and deeds? Starting with deeds, most men fundamentally comprehend that deeds are important. But what is a deed? A deed is an intentional action. In the context of this book, a deed is something beneficial, a good work, a kind act, an aid rendered. It is an act that accomplishes something in life, and there are many quotes about being a man of deeds. In fact, there is an entire nursery rhyme that denigrates words that are not complemented by deeds.

A MAN OF WORDS AND NOT OF DEEDS

A man of words and not of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds
And when the weeds begin to grow
It's like a garden full of snow
And when the snow begins to fall
It's like a bird upon the wall
And when the bird away does fly
It's like an eagle in the sky
And when the sky begins to roar
It's like a lion at the door
And when the door begins to crack
It's like a stick across your back
And when your back begins to smart
It's like a penknife in your heart
And when your heart begins to bleed
You're dead, and dead, and dead indeed.
Anonymous

The reasons for doing deeds are self-evident. In order to live a good life, it is necessary to do good deeds for others. The reason many men — Moses, King David, Jesus, Constantine, Charlemagne, Gutenberg, Michelangelo, Mozart, George Washington, and Thomas Edison, to name a few — are called great is because they accomplished great deeds. These men did more than the average man; they put their lives to work for other people.

I often think about the four chaplains from the beginning story. These men positively impacted other human lives with their words, deeds, and example. It did not take an entire lifetime for them to accomplish something great; they took a step of faith in a harrowing moment and now will forever be enshrined in the annals of brave deeds. Though many of us may never know the extent of our actions while living here on earth, we must realize that simple steps of faith and courage on a daily basis can echo in eternity and imprint on lives we will never meet.

Here is an excerpt of a speech given by President Theodore Roosevelt, entitled...