My experience in special operations is much like many who are in combat now. You see the worse the world has to offer. When you see that, your faith is often challenged. You ask questions like, “Why did this happen? Why are all these children dead? Why are there suicide bombers?” All of us have those questions. With our mantra being to liberate the oppressed, you feel a sense of responsibility to make things better for people. We euphemistically call that doing the Lord’s work. We are there to do what’s right, just, moral and ethical.
Now that I was in an administration that set policy, my conflict was trying to align the role of liberator with the political challenges of being in a foreign country. Individually we are there for the right reason. When you’re older and have been around long enough to reflect, you understand at some level we are simply the extension of political policy for our nation. That is where faith comes into, “Would God put me here if it wasn’t right?”
“Freedom” is a word that conjures up a lot of images for us. For most of us it means freedom to worship, to go to school, to travel, to get an education. It means freedom to pursue life and to maximize your potential to benefit society. Those are things Iraqis have little knowledge of. Bringing freedom to others is a valiant struggle but it’s also quite complicated especially with the political struggles these countries face. From a soldier’s standpoint you feel a sense of righteousness, a moral and ethical drive that you’re there for the right reason. When you get to the politics, it makes it more convoluted.
Freedom is a desired goal for most people. It’s defined differently throughout the world. We need to fully understand the cultures that we’re embedding ourselves in. Our vision of freedom is not always shared by other cultures.
Dear God, thank you that you so love the world. You don’t desire any to perish. Instead, you want all to come to repentance. Please save men and women, youth and children from every continent, nation, and people group. We pray this for your eternal glory, honor, and praise.
“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3–4)