Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Lincoln Park shared a reflection on war and memory by Fr. David Bechill in its July 5 bulletin. 

“The best history professor I ever had always pounded into our noggins that history has to be studied chronologically, not backward,” Bechill wrote. “To study history from now-to-then is to make the fatal mistake of reading into things when we should be reading out of them.”

Bechill told parishioners about two 1980s television miniseries written by Herman Wouk that together deliver important messages – “The Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance.”

“This historical fiction miniseries follows characters on all sides of the war and really gives you a feel for what it was like to be a soldier, politician, family member, etc. during the build-up and actual war,” Bechill said.

Bechill added to the conversation a three-part show, “The Long Shadow,” which he said was a thought-provoking documentary by British professor David Reynolds. In it, Bechill wrote, were a couple of key points that Reynolds sought to convey. 

First, he said, World War I was very different from World War II and while WWI started the idea of nationalism, WWII led to the realization of nationalism in the extreme extreme. 

“The various governments and nations during this time had very different understandings of democracy – there are two main divergent brands: A democracy that is safe for the world, and a world that is safe for democracy,” Bechill wrote, explaining the second point that Reynolds wanted to make. 

Bechill encouraged parishioners to make some time for these productions, as they show in a helpful way how the wars impacted the world we live in today. 

“Let us make sure to pray for our elected leaders, as well as all the many men and women who have given and do give the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms,” Bechill concluded.