A Note From a Soldier...

"... Secondly, your "No BS" Bible Study intrigues me.  I will try and attend.  There have been times in my life when I have been extremely active in church and church services.  I even was a praise and worship leader for a little over a year for a Nazarene Church in London, OH playing acoustic guitar and singing.  My experience has had an ugly ending in two separate occasions, keeping me very guarded with getting involved in much of anything anymore.  However, I still feel God tugging at my heart from time to time, no matter how hard I try and block Him out. When people ask me about my "relationship" with Jesus, I generally say, "It's a love hate/relationship, but a relationship none the less."  I don't consider myself a religious person anymore or a so called church goer. But real people talking about real life interests me.

I'm not real sure why I feel the need to share this with you other than you are honestly the first Army Chaplain to cross my path that is very genuine.  I appreciate your willingness to get down in the dirt with the likes of us that swear, drink, etc. and you seem to be the kind of guy that speaks truth without sugar coating anything.  I get burned out on the same religious bullshit that most "trendy" churches tend to dish out.  God is good, life is good, Jesus loves you, etc.  Though those things may be true, it's not what I need."

 

There is so very much I appreciate about this email. Of course, it's encouraging for me to know that God is blessing His ministry here, especially as it pertains to this soldier. But this soldier also represents a significant segment of folks in our society who are burned out on cliches, easy answers, and feel-good religion. It sounds like he doesn't want a "religious experience" or something that makes him feel good about himself--he wants real truth that deals with real life in a real world. He sounds like one of the thousands of hipsters in downtown Seattle who are flocking to no BS, Gospel-preaching churches.

 

I admire this young NCO tremendously. His baby girl was born about a month and a half ago and he was able to use his pass to go home and be with his wife, one year old boy, and baby. He sent me a picture from the hospital room. His little girl was asleep on his chest and he was staring down at her. When he got back, I told that his little girl is beautiful. He said "No...she's perfect."

 

As with most of my soldiers, strenuous work and dark moments for this soldier are easily eclipsed by a question about his kids. They stir hardened hearts with joy. For them, he goes off to war with the hope that, for them, he will return with peace.