An Open Letter to Christians in Allied military forces

I’m sorry, America and your coalition allies.

I’m sorry, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines—for not keeping you in prayer as I should have. The strain of combat and loss of life, limb or mental acuity is a burden I do not wish on anyone, and I fear my prayers for mental and physical strength, lethality and compassion may not have come in time.

But I’m pretty sure God has His own timetable, and He does not need to be asked so much as we have to approach Him.

So I urge you to claim for yourselves the missions from your commanders, the bond with your brothers in arms, and the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

(Isaiah 58:6-11 ESV)


I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like it—fighting door-to-door against an enemy with practically infinite resupply, manpower and hate-drenched ideology, and facing opposition from politicians in Congress with little regard for the enormous sacrifices you have made in getting Iraq and Afghanistan to where they are today. Enemies appear both before and behind you, and saddened as I am at the fragmented state of the War on Terror today, I pray your chaplains, commanders and fellow fighting men remind you what makes it all worthwhile.

A line from the film Windtalkers captures it well: “They want to send us home. But so long as there’s a Hitler and a Tojo out there, we can’t go home.”

Take the advice of C. S. Lewis—fight the enemy not out of hate but love, as if they are suffering from a disease that you hope one day they will be cured of. As Sam tells Frodo in The Two Towers, the good in this world is worth fighting for, whether with gentleness and longsuffering, or force of arms. Remember you are the good guys, and act accordingly. Christ reminds us His Two Commandments still hold: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your strength, all your soul and all your mind—and your neighbour as yourself. Each of you must answer the young lawyer’s question: “Who is my neighbour?”

The casualty of terrorist bombing.

The wounded fellow soldier who just needs to hang on.

The civilian someone’s shot and your medical crew are fighting to save.

Or the Iraqi fighter you’ve taken prisoner, who tells you the militia are threatening to kill his family if he doesn’t kill Americans.

In all things keep your head, your mission and your faith. No matter where you yourself stand on the war, you have my gratitude and thanks for fighting it and doing your duty on behalf of freedom-loving people everywhere—like in the invasion and liberation of France, our hopes and prayers march with you. And when you return, victorious, certainly not unscathed but strengthened, I hope to join Christians of the free world in welcoming you home. No matter where you stand in the war you fight, a big thank you for doing your duty, and risking your lives so millions of others need not.

Even back in America or your home countries, safe with your families and friends, you will not be home yet—for your home, like mine, is in heaven itself. And if He sees it fit to save more of the people of Iraq and turn their hearts away from darkness… I know that will be an added blessing.

General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have my prayers and admiration; they stay on an arduous but splendidly-done job, despite the accusations leveled at them from a Congress determined to see the war effort fail, and terrorists like bin Laden vindicated in the process. Pray that Congress and the Democratic Party itself have spine and heart enough to show courage turned towards the well-being of America, and that God show these leaders His continued grace despite the sin that continues to plague your great nation as it does all over this fallen world.

And to the brave men and women who hold the Lord Jesus’s word in their hearts, God bless you. You have faced down the enemy with courage, honour and humility, freed Iraq and Afghanistan from the stranglehold of fear and oppression, and defend our freedoms day by day.

As a Christian and fellow-worker, I will ever be glad to count myself your brother.