2.6.07

A Touching Gift from – Camp Marez, Iraq...

Last Thursday night, I had one of those long sleepless nights which I'm sure many of you have experienced. My mind was churning with countless thoughts, emotions, and prayers for our country. We stand at a crossroads, beset by the increasingly violent clash of worldviews that are engulfing our nation, and our world.

This clash is so strong – so profound – that I cannot imagine any way forward without a deep faith in the Providence of God, and the enduring Truth of His Word.

Many things have brought me to this state of deep concern. But perhaps the most important are a letter I received last week and a White House meeting I'll describe below.

The letter

On a standard ADF reply envelope delivered to our office were the handwritten words:

"From Camp Marez, Iraq."

Inside was a check for $284 – a gift from an American soldier serving in harm's way in that remote land, so very far from his family and friends. I was deeply moved, thinking of the many other needs and concerns he must have. Here at ADF, we're blessed to have many friends and family proudly serving in our nation's armed forces, so I know what the amount of this sacrificial gift means from a soldier's lean monthly paycheck. It also was a keen reminder of our stewardship duty at ADF to use every penny he sent in a way to maximize return for the Kingdom.

Why did this soldier send such a sacrificial gift to ADF from his duty station so far away?

Because he wanted to ensure that – even while he is abroad, putting his life on the line – his nation, his way of life, and the worldview he was raised to believe in are protected and preserved here at home.

Dear friends, we are in a time when the clash of worldviews is as great as any other time in our nation's history.

There are only two worldviews.

The first is the core concept, upon which America was founded – that certain rights are inalienable and endowed by our Creator. These rights include the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." These were joined in the minds of our founders with their universal understanding of the foremost importance of religious liberty – embedded in the founding documents of Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and other colonies, and later specifically spelled out as our First Liberty in the Bill of Rights.

Our founders also recognized the family – formed through the union of one man and one woman in marriage – as the most essential unit of our culture and society.

This generous soldier, serving on the front lines, understands all this – and he knows that we are fighting against an opposing worldview that exalts self, rather than God.

It's a worldview that cannot allow freedom of conscience and religion, and especially any public profession of dissent. It's a worldview that believes innocent life can be taken at a whim. And it's a worldview that believes that even the most basic building block of society – marriage and the family – can be radically distorted until it becomes unrecognizable.

Of course, as our dear friend serving in Iraq knows all too well: in every conflict there are winners and losers. In the great fight before us, nothing less than the future itself is at stake – the future not only of our nation, but of our entire civilization.


The meeting


Earlier that same sleepless Thursday, I was in Washington, DC, at a White House briefing with some ADF friends, allies, and others. There we heard from President Bush and Vice-President Cheney on the war against those who use terror as a tactic.

I came away from that meeting convinced that the present challenges, at both the national and international levels, have important similarities. On both fronts, the clash of worldviews will produce winners and losers. May God have mercy if we fail to stand for religious liberty, for the sanctity of life, for the family... and if we do not persevere.

Since our inception in 1994, we've been privileged to have hundreds of servicemen and women and their families join the ADF Team – as allied lawyers, employees, and ministry friends. Their insights and friendship are always a great blessing to us. They have seen firsthand, and understand more keenly than many of us, the greater issues at stake in the legal battles we wage day by day.

May our nation NEVER betray the commitments and promises we have made to these men and women – who are truly our finest.

Could I prevail upon you to take a few minutes of your day today to stop and to pray for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines? For their often exhausted, over-extended, and lonely families? For all of our nation's leaders, and especially for our Commander-in-Chief, President Bush, in this time of monumental decision?

And then please pray for ADF founders Dr. James Dobson and Dr. D. James Kennedy -- and for me and the entire team here at ADF – that God would grant us the wisdom, the resources, and the strength to serve our nation well.

And, finally, pray that God will allow victory...

...because, I am confident, in the spirit of John 15:5, that if we remain humble, and stay on our knees, we not only can, but will, WIN.

Prayer Requests | Visit the ADF prayer page
"Without Christ, we can do nothing." - John 15:5

1. Please pray for wisdom and for victory in the many legal battles ahead
   
2. Please pray for the safety of ADF lawyers as many are traveling over the next several weeks.