“Faith is the state of being ultimately concerned: the dynamics of faith are the dynamics of man’s ultimate concern. Man, like every living being, is concerned about many things, above all about those which condition his very existence, such as food and shelter. But man, in contrast to other living beings, has spiritual concerns — cognitive, aesthetic, social, political. Some of them are urgent, often extremely urgent, and each of them as well as the vital concerns can claim ultimacy for a human life or the life of a social group.”

Paul Tillich, from The Dynamics of Faith

I believe the serious bearing and countenance of each young woman illustrates Tillich’s dynamics of faith. Surely a cognitive virus has infected them and contagion has spread urgently; we see clear images of what our philosopher terms, ultimate concern. I think we can rule out pressing issues regarding food and shelter — indeed, broader and deeper spiritual forces must have gripped our two cadets. The uniforms, context and body language provide clues.

Anyone acquainted with military drills and marching knows your mind cannot wander; concentration on the present moment must be maintained to avoid mistakes and subsequent condemnation by peers and superiors alike. In that sense the women show immediate concern for their standing within their social group, a vital preoccupation for a human being. Each soldierly woman has what seems an earnest, businesslike interest in a future armed forces career; thus a social and political order under a democratic flag — a symbol pointing toward a much larger category of reality (one nation under God) — will likely concern them also, and quite intensely I think.