Atheist in a Foxhole: One Man's Quest for Meaning

Prologue

Dick Langhinrichs believed that saying Yes to the demands of life, from others, from oneself does not—in fact, should not—come easily. He felt that commitments can only be valued to the degree to which they are honored, and should not be made or taken lightly. Perhaps that is why he did not reach the decision to enter the ministry until he was forty years old, in spite of being urged by others to do so when he was seventeen.

Dick’s journal entries in those interim years reveal that he was always searching for meaning, for affirmation. Finally, at midlife, he faced the dilemma of having a void, a missing sense of purpose, in spite of enjoying a successful business career, being a responsible, loving husband and father of two daughters, and having the deep respect of many.

Summoning his personal courage, and with the daring support of his family, Dick Langhinrichs, et al., pulled up roots and entered an entirely different lifestyle and role. Risks were taken, challenges were met—and ultimately Dick said Yes and discovered the meaning of his life.

Dick did not sail a straight course through life. He set out to write a novel and act on the New York stage. He wound up doing something far more important, building a liberal religious community in Northeastern Indiana. Along the way, he was overtaken by major global events and personal crisis. And, what happened to him—what he experienced and endured before and after his arrival in Fort Wayne—is what made his life and his ministry so rich, honest and meaningful. Both the diversity and intensity of his life experiences are what made his ministry so unique and inspiring; what caused many people to routinely commute over a hundred miles every Sunday to hear his message; what caused him to be sought for and participate in controversial leadership positions and often unpopular issues of his day.

Dick was born and raised in the rough industrial river town of Rock Island, Illinois, by an Irish Catholic mother and a German Protestant father. He learned early the meaning of dichotomy and of social injustice and suffering in the depression-wracked, wide-open streets of Rock Island, Illinois.

As a teenager, Dick became a leader in the local YMCA youth program. This provided a preview of his leadership skills, personal commitment and conviction that would often be later displayed in his adult pursuits. In the very depths of the depression, he obtained the use of an open stake-bed truck for the summer—then obtained enough contributions to permit a full truckload of boys to take a trip east to see Washington, D.C., Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Philadelphia, and other historic sites. Amazingly, while others were heading to California with all their possessions in a truck, Dick and his crew, who had worked to help pay their expenses, were off to the east coast for a cultural and camping adventure.

As Dick completed his degree at Northwestern University, World War II broke out. He became an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps after extremely rugged training at Quantico, Virginia, during a harsh winter. He was immediately deployed to combat in the South Pacific. Dick rose to the rank of lieutenant while leading his troops through the most harrowing and bloody island assault campaigns of World War II, including Saipan. As he later confided to other veterans, virtually nothing else mattered then but the success and survival of his company in combat. Men died in his arms, pinned down by enemy fire, waiting for reinforcements and for medical attention which did not come. Incredibly, Dick survived, with a Purple Heart and was awarded the Bronze Star in recognition of his heroism and leadership.

Returning to civilian life with enthusiasm and confidence, Dick headed for New York City and a stage career. While working on a novel and waiting for his big stage break, Dick established himself as a successful property manager.

His remarkable career as minister of the Fort Wayne Unitarian Universalist Congregation (UUCFW), where he served for 25 years, is documented in this book. Dick died on July 31, 1990; his memorial service can be found in the epilogue, and the books that influenced Dick’s life and ministry are listed as Sacred Texts at the end of Part I: One Man’s Journey.

—Roberta Kreicker