You may have seen this on HB London's email, The Pastor's Weekly Briefing
(June 5) and I thought it was worth sharing:
ONE LONE VOICE
From a chaplain in Iraq:
LSA Anaconda I attended a showing at LSA Anaconda (Balad Airport in Iraq, north of Baghdad). We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings.
As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through, when the National Anthem music stopped. Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22-year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments and everyone would sit down and call for the movie.
Here, the 1,000 soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen? Every soldier continued to stand at attention.
Suddenly, there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off: 'And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.' It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq.
I wanted you to know what kind of soldiers are serving you here and in Afghanistan. Remember them as they fight for you. Be in prayer for all our soldiers at home and abroad.
— Chaplain Jim Higgins (now senior pastor of McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church in Powder Springs, Ga.)
My son is a Staff Sgt in the USAir Force, proudly serving his country. He and has sqaudron have done two 6 month tours overseas at a base in Southeast Asia in the past 24 months. But there were two other headlines in the Pastor's Weekly Briefing that troubled me...Homosexual Activist Appointed to Education Department; and June Declared 'LGBT Pride Month.' Which America are our armed services supporting? The one defined by the current political culture? The one where sexual orientation is truly immaterial- where eventually we will see marriages between men and children? between women, men, and women? Is the America that our men and women are fighting to defend really a place where one can be proud to flaunt God's laws? I tremble with fear when I think through the implications of how our courts are redefining rights based on their own personal experience rather than commonly accepted definitions and historically sound interpretations of the Constitution. I tremble with fear when I hear churches- those who claim the name of Christ- affirming people's preferences for sexuality, for personal convenience, and for personal priority.
May God remind us again of the cost of being His disciple- to surrender everything for the awesome privilege of knowing JEsus Christ- the suffering of His crucifixion as we take our cross daily, and the power of His resurrection as the Holy Spirit indwells us!