REMEMBERING
Special Tributes to George W. Bush
A man's actions say a lot about a man's character. . .
At the Foot of the Cross
A Story You Haven't Heard
BreakPoint with Charles Colson
January 6, 2004
Angel Tree, our Prison Fellowship program for prisoners' children, is one of the great unheralded volunteer outreaches in America. Over the Christmas holidays these past few weeks, approximately 100,000 volunteers delivered Angel Tree gifts to more than 525,000 children of inmates.
You didn't read about this in the newspapers, nor would I expect that you should. It's not really that newsworthy that Christians help people in need. But there are two of our volunteers, who delivered forty presents, that I think you should have read about but didn't. For reasons best known to themselves, the media ignored the fact that two of the volunteers were President and Mrs. George Bush. And they delivered gifts to forty inner-city kids in a church basement three days before Christmas.
President and Mrs. Bush arrived at three-o'clock, Monday, December 22, at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Now, presidents don't move anywhere without a great deal of fuss. The police were out, the roads blocked, and Secret Service were roaming around the church. And when the president arrived, he was accompanied not only by his own team, but also by a pool of reporters, forty or so members of the press. For ten minutes they popped their flashbulbs, scribbled their notes, and then were ushered out.
I remember from my days with President Nixon what photo opportunities are: Get the picture and leave. So I thought the Bushes would shortly depart, but they didn't. They stayed long after the cameras were gone to greet every child, to have their picture taken with them, their mothers, and their grandmothers, to talk with them, and to ask questions. Though the press didn't report it, I noticed that both the president and Mrs. Bush talked to the Hispanic children in Spanish.
Just before the president left, I introduced him to Al Lawrence, a member of our staff. I told the president that I had met Al more than twenty years ago in a prison. Jesus had got hold of Al's life, and he's been working for us ever since. Then I told the president that Al's son was now a freshman at Yale. At that point the president stopped, exclaimed, "We're both Yale parents," and threw his arms around Al Lawrence-an African-American ex-offender being embraced by the president of the United States in a church basement. The ground is indeed level at the foot of the cross.
I tell you this story because it's a wonderful Christmas story, and you probably haven't heard it. With all those reporters who crowded into that basement, the visit resulted in almost universal media silence.
I suppose there are many explanations for this, but I'll offer mine. The president is a Christian who really cares for "the least of these," who does this not for photo ops, but because he's genuine. That is something that his detractors in the media simply can't handle. Conservatives caring for the poor? Never. It dashes the stereotypes.
But surely Christians ought to be rejoicing that the most powerful man in the world and his wife, a couple of days before Christmas, had a wonderful visit with the most powerless people in our society.
After all, that echoes the Christmas message, doesn't it? The most powerful came to be with the least powerful to give us hope.
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A Story missed by CNN:
At a recent Soldiers Breakfast held at Redstone Arsenal, AL, Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) Jack Tilley shared the following story. He - (SMA Jack Tilley) - described a recent visit to our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington that I (Chaplain Henderson) will never forget. The Special Forces soldier had lost his right hand and had suffered severe wounds of his face and side of his body. As SMA Tilley described, how do you honor such a soldier, showing respect without offending?
What can you say or do in such a situation that will encourage and uplift?
How do you shake the right hand of a soldier who just lost his?
Finally he told how he acted as though the man had a hand, taking his wrist as though it were his hand and speaking encouragement to him. But he said there was another man in that group of visitors who had even brought his wife with him to visit the wounded who knew exactly what to do.
This man reverently took this soldier's stump of a hand in both of his hands, bowed at the bedside and prayed for him. When he stood from praying he bent over and kissed the man on the head and told him he loved him. What a powerful expression of love for one of our wounded heroes! And what a beautiful Christ-like example!
What kind of man would kneel in such humility and submission to the Living God of the Bible? It was George W. Bush, President of the United States and Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces, a true leader.
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This is a small, but true story to give you an idea of the kind of man and woman we have in the White House now and want to keep there.
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As you may know, the President and Mrs. Bush visited the Washington Burn Center on Friday 14 September. Among those they visited was LTC Brian Birdwell, who was badly burned in the Pentagon attack. Mrs. Bush went into Brian's room, spoke to him for about a minute, all the time as if they had been life-long acquaintances. She then turned to Brian's wife Mel, who at this time had been at the hospital for probably 2 1/2 days, and apparently, according to Mel herself, was dirty, grimy and had blood on her shirt. Mrs. Bush hugged Mel for what Mel said seemed like an eternity, just as if Mel were one of her closest family members.
Mrs. Bush then told Brian and Mel that there was "someone" there to see him. The President then walked in, stood by Brian's bedside, asked Brian how he was doing, told him that he was very proud of them both and that they were his heroes. The President then saluted Brian.
Now, at this point in time, Brian is bandaged up pretty well. His hands are burned very badly as well as the back of him from the head down. His movements were very restricted. Upon seeing the President saluting him, Brian began to Slowly return the salute, taking, from the accounts so far, about 15-20 seconds to get his hand up to his head.
During all of this, 15-20 seconds, President Bush never moved, never dropped his salute. The President dropped his salute only when Brian was finished with his, and then gave Mel a huge hug for what also probably seemed like an eternity.
No further comments. Pray for our leadership. Thank God for what we are, have, and will be. As a note to those of you who might not be familiar with military protocol, the subordinate normally initiates a salute and will hold it until the superior officer returns the salute.
In the above incident, President Bush acted in the role of the subordinate to show his respect and high regard for the injured man.
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Letter from an Airman
I just witnessed something I don't think I'll ever forget. I was down near the cafeteria in the Pentagon meeting a friend for lunch and I see a very large crowd of people inside. I walk in and soon find myself standing less than three feet away from our Commander-in-Chief and right beside the Secretary of Defense (and a bunch of Secret Service folks). President Bush was walking around shaking hands and thanking all of us for what we do. He kept saying to people "Don't Worry" -- as if to say, I've got it under control. He must have shaken 1000 hands or more. What particularly struck me was his presence -- not a particularly large man in stature, but he had an aura of a giant -- a smile on his face, yet you can sense he was a man on a mission -- a man of purpose and conviction - there was just this feeling that he is THE MAN, and he is in charge - he had a quiet confidence that was deafening! Then, a group of folks just behind me started singing God Bless America and, in no time, the entire room - which was packed - was singing the song. It was enough to give anyone goose bumps. If there was a dry eye in the place, I couldn't see it (probably because my eyes weren't too dry). It was just one of those once in a life time experiences that I shall never forget. After God Bless America, there were a few chants of "USA -USA-USA," followed by a lot of applause. When President Bush finally made his way toward the entrance, he turned with his confident smile and waved at everyone, and the room just erupted in cheers and whistles and applause. I've been to professional football games where the noise wasn't that loud. It was just such a wonderful experience - and it made me:
1) so very very happy that George W. Bush is our president and Commander-in-Chief, and
2) so proud to be an American.
Just thought I'd share.
Rick
Lt. Col. Rick Jones
HQ USAF/ILMY
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The e-mail below was written by Lindsey Yeskoo, the wife of Paul Yeskoo, a Christian Foreign Service Officer serving in Shanghai, and details her experience of meeting the President when he was in China a month or two ago. It underlines why we need to be faithful in praying for the President in particular and all our national leaders.
Dear Family!
It is a dull, polluted Monday morning here in Shanghai and we await news of President Bush's safe arrival back in Washington D.C. He just left here less than twelve hours ago. Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief that no terrorist incidents occurred here over the past days. Security was tight, as you will have seen on TV. On Friday afternoon, a crowd of 600 consulate/embassy staff + families were invited to a reception in the Atrium of the Shanghai/Portman complex, at 3:15pm, to meet both GW and Colin Powell. We waited a LONG time (due to all the security we had to go through), but our anticipation outweighed our tired bodies and sore feet [We had left the house just after 10:30am in order to do all this!].
Finally, Bush was announced, and it was SO INCREDIBLE to see him walk in with Powell and take the podium before us, especially with all the recent events. Quite emotional for us all, actually. He gave a tremendous, candid yet heartening speech, and then was escorted down to the floor to meet the crowds. Everyone was of course behind a tight rope, and there were Secret Service men and security everywhere. There was no way he could meet all, but he sure did a great job of shaking hands with as many as possible. Colin Powell followed immediately behind him; he did not seem so engaging, surprisingly. Maybe the Secretary was (understandably) tired and distracted after his previous trips to Pakistan and India. Anyway, the three kids and I were in the very front row, and had an extraordinary experience with President Bush. Bush came along and shook Chris's hand first, noticing that he was all dressed up, and said, "You're looking sharp today, boy!" Chris was SO PROUD and SO PLEASED a! t the recognition (if only GW had known what a struggle I'd had to get him to wear a jacket and a tie!). Then he shook my hand and I told him how much we value his strong leadership at this time, that we are 100% behind him. He went on and took the girls' hands and talked to them.
Then I leaned over and mentioned that we pray for him every day. He stopped dead in his tracks (a definite security NO-NO ... the SS men got REALLY antsy). He searched my eyes as if to see how much I really meant what I was saying. Then he gave me the most amazing and unexpected personal response, Paul said for a good 20-30 seconds. He told me what the effect has been on him, waking up every day of the crisis and knowing within himself that he is being faithfully prayed for. He almost pleaded with me not to give up, but to persist with it, for this is only the beginning. Then he looked me even more squarely in my eyes, and gave me a very personal and specific series of instructions about the very things he most needs prayer for, on behalf of himself and of the nation. He urged me that the threat against America is very great, and that one of our focuses in prayer to God needs to be "the shielding of America"...and wisdom for him as he leads the country through this time. I don! 't know why, but as I looked straight back at him directly into his face, he let me see for those brief moments a tiny part of the agony he himself is going through, and the weariness. He finished the conversation by putting his hand on my right shoulder, almost as if it were the close of a commissioning, but affectionate too in a brotherly sort of way. People were pressing in at this point and almost knocking the four of us right into Bush. Many of them were the Chinese staff who work for Paul, who would not have understood ANY of that conversation; but others caught snippets and came afterwards to ask me WHAT we had been talking about. The President moved on. Needless to say, the whole experience was unforgettable. I cannot begin to tell you how deeply it has affected me. Certainly, I do not think I have ever prayed for a leader or government or nation (or world!) so extensively as I have done since then. It was really quite an unusual and unexpected and powerful encounter."
The man who admitted to having a drinking problem in younger years, and whose happy-go-lucky lifestyle led him to mediocre grades in college and an ill-fated oil venture. Who mangled syntax, and whose speaking missteps became known as "Bushisms." He came within a hair's breadth of losing the election in November. While votes were counted and re-counted, Bush quietly but confidently waited at his ranch. Make no mistake, his orders were carried out, but he stayed in the background, faithful and confident. Bush named Jesus Christ as Lord of his life on public TV. Not an oblique reference to being "born-again" or having a "life change." He actually said the un-PC-like phrase, "Jesus Christ!"
On September 11, he was thrust into a position only known by Roosevelt, Churchill, Lincoln, and Washington. The weight of the world was on his shoulders, and the responsibility of a generation was on his soul. So President George W. Bush walked to his seat at the front of the National Cathedral just three days after two of the most impressive symbols of American capitalism and prosperity virtually evaporated. When the history of this time is written, it will be acknowledged by friend and foe alike that President George W. Bush came of age in that cathedral and lifted a nation off its knees. In what was one of the most impressive exhibitions of self-control in presidential history, President George W. Bush was able to deliver his remarks without losing his resolve, focus, or confidence. God's hand, which guided him through that sliver-thin election, now rested fully on him. As he walked back to his seat, the camera angle was appropriate. He was virtually alone in the scene!, al! one in that massive place of God; just him and the Lord. Back at his seat, George H. W. Bush reached over and took his son's hand. In that gesture his father seemed to say, "I wish I could do this for you, son, but I can't. You have to do this on your own." President George W. Bush squeezed back and gave him a look of peace that said, "I don't have to do it alone, Dad. I've got help."
What a blessing to have a professing Christian as President. Please take a moment after you read this to pray for him. He truly does have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Pray that God will sustain him and give him wisdom and discernment in his decisions. Pray for his protection and that of his family. After you have prayed, send this to everyone on your e-mail list. Our President needs Christians around the world to be praying for him. As this makes the e-mail rounds, eventually there could literally be people praying for him 24/7. This was good, very good. The Bush to Bush touch reminded me of another Father who could not help his Son do what only He could do for all of us, too!