The loss of our Marines, Army soldiers, and a Navy Corpsman in Afghanistan hits hard. I remember the day we lost two Marines in the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom. We had only been in-country a couple of days. Encamped near a tributary of the Euphrates River, our Marines had taken up defensive positions near the river bank. The enemy was spotted on the other side, and a Squad of Marines decided to cross the river to set up a defensive perimeter. A Squad is a team of nine Marines commanded by a Sergeant. Cross a river in full gear with a weapon? That’s what Marines do. Unfortunately, two of them didn’t make it across.

The next day they recovered the two bodies, and I was at the waterfront providing pastoral care to our Marines who, for the first time, were faced with the horrors of war. These young Marines, men and women, from a reserve battalion, who a few short weeks earlier were enrolled in college, working on the farm, working in an office, punching a clock, were a bit shell-shocked at losing two of their own. 

The recovery was poignant, for one of the Marines was found at the bottom of the river, still clutching his rifle tightly in his arms. He was well-trained. That’s what Marines do.

When I first arrived on the scene, I was met by the Executive Officer of the Battalion, the Company Commander, and the active-duty liaison to our Battalion. For some reason, they looked at me and said, “What do we do?” My response was that the only thing we could do was pray. So I prayed, and when I said, “Amen,” all three men immediately turned around and walked about 10 yards in the opposite direction, leaving me as the only one standing in the original circle. These men, these Marines, could not contain their emotions. They loved and cared for their Marines. That’s what Marines do.

I pray for the families of the Marines, soldiers, and the sailor lost. Today, the morale is low among all the service members in Afghanistan. Pray for them. Today, the morale is low among all combat veterans who have served in Afghanistan and elsewhere these last 20 years. Pray for them. These families who lost loved ones did not get a phone call; they got a knock on the door—a personal visit from an officer and a chaplain to deliver the horrific news that their son/father/husband/brother was killed in action. Their lives will never be the same. Pray for them. You don’t know them, but God does. The foundations of their world are destroyed. “What can the righteous do?” 

These were the words of David from Psalm 11. We wonder and feel the same. The very foundations of all we have held dear are shaken. What are we to do? The answer? “In the Lord I take refuge” (Ps 11:1). And why? 

4 The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness;
The upright will behold His face.

Marines will be faithful. Semper Fi. That’s what Marines do. And us? It is our call to be always faithful and to take our refuge in the sovereignty of our Lord. Because, that’s what God’s people do.