“General Sherman himself seemed to have recognized that peace is in God’s hands. At stages of his often vicious Georgia campaign, his opponent was the Confederate general Joseph Johnston. After the war, the two became friends, and they often shared dinner. They had seen and felt too much to harbor enmity. As an old man, Johnston traveled up to New York City to be a pallbearer at Sherman’s funeral. Standing in the rain, he insisted on keeping his head uncovered to fully honor Sherman. He caught a cold and died of pneumonia shortly thereafter. Neither Johnston nor Sherman respected war. They did, however, come to respect people who had made the deep journey into war, and in its depths recognized the realities of taintedness and grace. That recognition, and eventual respect, is at least something we can pray for without moral confusion.” – Ephraim Radnor
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