In the Northern Kuwait Desert on Sunday March 16, 2003, the United States Marine Corps carried out final baptisms for converts to Christianity ahead of a potential invasion of Iraq. Some 35 Marines downed their M-16 rifles before being fully immersed into a baptismal pond made of sandbags on a hot sunny morning.  Hundreds of others looked on and shouted "amen" and "praise the Lord" as the men were dunked by a Marine chaplain who offered them "a place in heaven" after leading a just life.

"The prospect of going into Iraq has a lot to do with this," Chaplain Lieutenant Commander Travis Moger, of the 2nd Battalion 23rd Marine Regiment, told AFP.  "They're thinking about their own mortality, their relationship with God and what they want to do with the rest of their lives. You do a lot of soul-searching when you're about to go into combat," he said.
 
Wearing gym shorts and supported by friends, Marines took turns at publicly renouncing their sins and begging forgiveness before being immersed into the pond that was blessed by Moger. "I realized I had been living life through the examples of ungodly men," declared one. "I was a hypocrite, then I felt the Holy Spirit touch my heart," said another to the applause of his peers.

"It does make you more aware," said 20-year-old Lance Corporal Jarrett Bilsky from Bruceville, Indiana. "Yes, Iraq does have a small part in doing this but I would have eventually done this anyway, even if I was in Hawaii." For Corporal Johnnie Lassiter of Durham, North Carolina, the baptism was more about a reaffirmation of vows following the recent birth of his daughter. "I was raised a Christian and it was a good way and I want my daughter to be raised the same way, so it was time to rededicate myself," he said.

There are many of us who have served in the Armed Forces of our country, and proudly so. There are many of those who have not served, but have served with heart and spirit. For many of us, time has taken its toll, and we no longer could answer our country's call to physical duty. However, none the less, if called upon, we would still fight with heart and soul to the best of our ability.

With war with Iraq looming on the horizon, I have written this poem for those of us who will not be able to join the war, but will pray for and love those who will fight.

FAITH IN GOD

In this day and age
Of terror and dismay,
We place our faith in God.
We know He will show the way.

The young will go to fight,
The old stay home and pray.
Would God I was young again,
That I might join the fray.

Yet my day has come and gone
That I might fight the foe.
Send me Lord, where You will,
And I will surely go.

But if by Your will, dear Lord,
My travels might be over
Then I obey your will my Lord,
Till we meet at Heaven's door.

So stay at home I will,
And pray for those who fight.
For soon we'll sing God's victory song
Giving thanks to His righteous might.

God bless all those who serve in our Armed
Forces...and bring them safely home to us.
Bud Kelley © 2003

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