美國雕塑家薩賓．霍華德（Sabin Howard）於2024年完成一個栩栩如生、血淚交織的雕塑作品《士兵的旅程》。在這約18米長的浮雕上，霍華德雕刻出38個立體青銅人像，生動描繪第一次世界大戰期間一個士兵的生涯。霍華德依序刻劃出士兵與家人心碎地告別，出發時的意氣風發，以及戰爭的恐怖場景。最後我們看到士兵退伍返鄉，他女兒凝視著他翻轉過來的頭盔，預見了第二次世界大戰的到來。

霍華德試圖找到貫穿人性的主線，即人類能成為偉大，也能墮落到有如禽獸一般。戰爭便揭露了這個事實。

詩人大衛深知戰爭血淋淋的結果，但他也明白為對抗邪惡而發動戰爭的必要性，因此他讚美這位教導他的手爭戰的上帝（詩篇144篇1節）。然而，他也畏懼戰爭，祈求上帝救他脫離殺人的刀（10節）。詩人大衛希望有一天年輕人不再死於戰爭，男子「都像旺盛的樹木」，女子「如同殿四角的柱子」（12節，新譯本）。到那日，「沒有人闖進來搶奪，也沒有人出去爭戰。我們的街市上也沒有哭號的聲音」（14節）。

回首過去，我們緬懷在戰爭中犧牲的人們。展望未來，我們要與詩人大衛一同高唱：「上帝啊，我要向祢唱新歌。」（9節）

Sabin Howard’s remarkable sculpture A Soldier’s Journey breathes with vitality and anguish. Thirty-eight bronze figures lean forward across a fifty-eight-foot bas-relief that traces the life of a World War I soldier. Completed in 2024, the panorama begins with a heartrending goodbye to family, leads us through the naive elation of departure, and moves into the horrors of battle. Finally the sculpture returns us home, where the veteran’s daughter peers into his upturned helmet—only to foresee World War II.

Howard sought “to find the thread that runs through humanity—that human beings can reach great heights, and they can sink to the level of the animal.” War reveals this reality.

The psalmist David knew well the bloody consequences of war. Aware of its tragic necessity to confront evil, he praised the God who “trains my hands for war” (Psalm 144:1). Yet he also recoiled from combat, praying, “From the deadly sword deliver me” (vv. 10-11). David looked forward to the time when the young won’t die in war, but sons “will be like well-nurtured plants” and daughters “like pillars carved to adorn a palace” (v. 12). On that day “there will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets” (v. 14).

Looking back, we remember those who’ve fallen in battle. Looking ahead, we sing with David, “I will sing a new song to you, my God” (v. 9).