Archived prayer books pray for Jefferson Davis instead of Abraham Lincoln and stained-glass windows of Civil War scenes glow in Washington, Georgetown, and Sewanee chapels. A fine new book of essays explores these connections anew. The Civil War was a national tragedy, America s Iliad , and its slaughter of 600,000 of the nation s best and brightest was made doubly horrible because Americans were killing Americans. It is taking a long, long time to get beyond it. This July 4 th there are as many parades, fireworks displays, and Stars and Stripes flags flapping in the South as in the North.
Scars remain, but seem less angry.
That is a truly religious sign.