The Privilege of Being an American

Kenneth F. Pierpont
(my father)

Tomorrow my Dad will preach on the Haitian disaster, why it happened and how believers should respond. This is one short, stirring application:

Within hours after the quake soldiers of an advance party of our 82nd Airborne Division were forming up to go the Haiti to prepare for the sending of an entire brigade there to help. The first pictures showed them helping and speaking kindly to these Haitian survivors. Troops from an African nation, also shown, were addressing some of the same Haitians with kicks from heavy boots and threats from rifle butts. The compassion of our soldiers was clearly evident.

Soon, our Marines were there. They were not threatening the citizens. They were passing out MREs (meals ready to eat, the same as they themselves eat while in the field). They were passing them out at the rate of 50 per minute! Our Marines are trained to kill their enemies when they are called upon to do so. I loved it when I saw them feeding our friends instead. The morale among our soldiers and marines there is sky-high the reporters say.

Our giant aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson quickly turned to this island nation. As soon as it was within range combat helicopters began flying in our military and relief supplies. She is now tied up just off the coast, a floating command station.

The beautiful USNS Comfort, the most sophisticated hospital ship in the world, got up steam and made for Haiti, a week’s sailing distance away. As soon as she got within helicopter range her flyers began rescuing horribly injured survivors from Haiti for surgery in her dozens of operating rooms. Soon her mighty crew of doctors, nurses, technicians and support personnel were overwhelmed with the need. On they work to this day!

By God’s grace I will never lose appreciation for my beautiful country. God made me an American. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ!