A military service in the field with a gun carriage for an altar

A military service in the field with a gun carriage for an altar

Religious military service in the field

V18934

Men face to face with death feel the need of religion as they feel it at no other time. The shadowy Beyond with its great uncertainties lies just around the corner. Soldiers on the battle field surrounded by the tremendous destructive agencies of modern military science, in the presence of which man's strength seems so insignificant, feel this need especially. Even the most hardened ones are glad to have the ministrations of the church. Men who never prayed before have prayed on the field of battle. They felt the need of a strength that was greater than theirs. They were consoled in the thought of death by the hope of resurrection in a brighter world. Noble, self-sacrificing priests and ministers of every creed risked their lives to carry to these men about to die the offices of the Church. No task was too hard for them, no hardship too great. Many of these servants of the church were decorated for exploits of the greatest gallantry. They managed to dispense with the formal trappings of religion, setting up the altar of their faith in the most unusual places. What mattered material things ? They were there to bring to those men the eternal verities! They set up their altar on caissons, as in the scene before us. They whispered the gospel of faith and hope into the ears of men in the front trenches, scarce 200 yards from the enemy. And men bowed their heads in reverence. Even unbelievers felt the presence of an unseen God and were silent. All religions were alike in the presence of death : Roman Catholic, Jew and Protestant felt for each other a splendid tolerance and worshipped the same God.

1 stereograph : b&w

1 gelatine silver print stereograph (8 x 15 cm) mounted on card (9 x 18 cm)

Copyright. The Keystone View Company

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World War through the stereoscope