Jane Cook - Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan

Show me today the “much” you have given me, whether it’s my time, talent, or treasure. Lead me to an opportunity to use my abundance selflessly.

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48b)

“Don’t let shame keep you from getting tested or treated,” President George W. Bush said to those with AIDS after signing legislation authorizing a $48 billion program to fight AIDS globally. “Your life is treasured by the people who love you…. It matters to the people of the United States.”

Valuing life is one of President Bush’s core beliefs. Fox News Channel’s reporter Brett Baier interviewed President Bush in January 2008. Baier asked Bush whether he was an idealist or a realist. Bush’s reply revealed his perspective on the author of life and freedom.

“I consider myself a combination of idealist and realist. I am idealistic because I believe in this fundamental truth: There is an Almighty. And a gift of that Almighty to every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth is liberty is freedom. I believe that with the very essence of my being, and am therefore am willing to act on that,” he replied earnestly.

“Now if you believe, that (freedom is a gift from God) then it ought to make you an optimistic person because freedom yields peace. It’s also a realistic way to defend America because ultimately the ideology of freedom must trump the hatred of the ideologues that kill to achieve their objectives. In the long term the only way to protect America is to spread liberty. Some say that is hopelessly idealistic. I say that it is idealistic but it has worked,” Bush explained.

Baier asked Bush to size up whether he would be able to declare victory in Iraq before his term’s end. Bush gave a realistic but optimistic reply.

“Victory in Iraq is going to be gradual. The security situation has certainly improved. The political situation is getting better and the economy is beginning to improve. It takes awhile to recover from a tyrannical situation. I think when I get out of here, I will have put Iraq in a position so that my successor, whoever that is, will be able to deal with the situation on the ground there. And I believe (the next president) will understand the strategic consequences of the emergence of this free society,” he said.

Scripture explains that God took something lifeless dust and gave it life. No matter a person’s ethnicity, religious heritage, or nationality, the desire for freedom is as natural as the air we breathe.

O giver of life, thank you for this most precious gift you have given me.

“The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

The 2008 presidential campaign saw many moments where faith factored into the public discourse. Questions about candidates’ core beliefs, religious affiliations, and their pastors infused an interesting dynamic into the media madness swarming the primaries. In a January 2008 interview, Fox News Channel’s Brett Baier asked President George W. Bush about the “faith factor.”

“How much do you think faith factors in to the Oval Office?” Baier asked.

“Having sat in that office now for seven years, I know how important it is to have a set of principles from which one will not vary. And your faith helps to develop a set of principles by which decisions should be made,” Bush responded.

Among Bush’s beliefs are the ideas “to much is given, much is required” and that life and freedom are gifts from God. Another guiding principle is the premium that Bush places on trust. He understands that personal relationships matter, which is one reason he occasionally invited heads of state to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, a place where leaders could speak their mind in the open air.

“I think the best way to conduct foreign policy is to establish kind of a level of trust. In other words, when you sit down with a person, they have got to trust you in the sense that you’re going to tell them what’s on your mind, and you’ll do it in a way that is not judgmental necessarily and a not zero sum (for them), and a good place to start that is here on the ranch,” he said.

“Was your faith ever shaken over these seven years?” Baier also asked.

“It’s been strengthened. One’s walk is (number) one, very personal, and two, is not always on the smooth road. No question the president gets tested, there’s tests throughout all of life… that’s just part of life,” he explained.

No president makes decisions and enacts policies without experiencing criticism and opposition. In fact, historically, presidents usually have bumpy rides, especially in their second terms. And as revered as George Washington was in his day, his second term was more challenging than his first. As several before him, Bush found strength in his faith during the rocky times.

“And faith helps bring joy in moments of trouble. It brings light in moments of darkness. Faith, for me, has been a very important part of appreciating the job of the president,” he said.

Father, I thank you for bringing joy to my heart!

“Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.” (Psalm 97:11)

That was the toughest time I’d ever had as an Army chaplain, stretching me beyond limits. I agreed to “cover down” my buddy’s unit, which was part of the 2007 troop surge, while he went home on mid-tour leave. He had been in Iraq ten months and needed a break. He told me not to worry because the violence had subsided somewhat.

I was visiting some of my mechanics when my government cell phone did something it rarely does. It rang. Something was wrong. I learned some guys in my buddy’s unit had been hit, resulting as: both “killed in action” and “walking wounded.” I went to the Troop Medical Center immediately. Someone showed me the tent where the KIA would be placed a sobering sight.

The radio call soon announced the convoy’s arrival. As the hydraulic ramp lowered, I saw four body bags holding four brave warriors. They were taken one by one into the tent. Once the doctors and necessary personnel were present, I prayed over the soldiers. Mortuary affairs personnel unzipped the bags and located the soldiers’ identification cards. This was the first time I had seen a soldier killed in combat incredibly difficult. I kept imagining soldiers I knew being in the same situation. These brave warriors may not have been “my” soldiers, but because they were American soldiers, they were “my” soldiers.

After each was identified, I stood over them individually and prayed for their families, friends, and fellow soldiers who would walk through the valley of grief in the upcoming days, weeks, and years. Seeing these patriots made me truly realize the high price of freedom. I saw firsthand what freedom really costs. I don’t think I will ever look at our flag the same way again. When I see the stars and stripes I now see the great sacrifice made to defend it.

The Army Chaplain Corps is charged with “nurturing the living, caring for the wounded, and honoring the dead.” I always thought the only way for me to honor the dead was to lead a respectful memorial ceremony for fallen heroes. My opinion has changed. In that tent I honored those soldiers as best I could. I represented Christ in that moment and hope I represented him well. I am grateful I was able to do what I could to honor those brave warriors. They will forever be in my memory.