“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21, NIV).

     I have a dear friend who is now a retired United Methodist pastor. Before he became a pastor, Russ was a commander for a Marine combat unit. Russ served in Vietnam during the most heated years of battle. While on patrol one evening, Russ’ platoon came under heavy fire. For hours, Russ’ men fought valiantly. During the battle, a North Vietnamese combatant was injured. He was taken captive by American forces. As a U.S. military officer, Russ was directed by the Geneva Convention to offer this enemy soldier first aid and food. A medical helicopter was brought in to airlift the wounded out. Russ was standing near the enemy soldier as he was being carried on a gurney. Just before being transported, the soldier spoke the following words in Vietnamese: người mỹ tốt, which means, “Americans are good.”

     General Douglas MacArthur once said, “The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” I echoed MacArthur’s words during the years my own son served in a combat zone in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have and will continue praying for peace between the nations that all wars may end.

     Even more, I pray for an abiding peace within the hearts and minds of every veteran and active duty person, especially for the scars of war that are too deep to be seen. Many of these distinguished warriors bear such wounds as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. May God heal and help them transcend their painful memories, so they might share their stories of hope with others.