Pete Hegseth Channels Mark Twain's "War Prayer"
"Almighty God, who trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle"
Hegseth introduced the prayer as being written by a chaplain involved in the Venezuela operation against President Nicholas Maduro. Hegseth repurposed the prayer for war against Iran:
“Almighty God, who trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle, you who stirred the nations from the north against Babylon of old, making her land a desolation where none dwell, behold now the wicked who rise against your justice and the peace of the righteous,” Hegseth prayed. “Snap the rod of the oppressor, frustrate the wicked plans, and break the teeth of the ungodly. By the blast of your anger, let the evil perish. Let their bulls go down to slaughter for their day has come, the time of their punishment. Pour out your wrath upon those who plot vain things and blow them away like chaff before the wind.”
“Grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence. Surround them as a shield, protect the innocent and blameless in their midst. Make their arrows like those of a skilled warrior who returned not empty-handed. Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” Hegseth continued praying. “Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. Preserve their lives, sharpen their resolve, and let justice be executed swiftly and without remorse that evil may be driven back and wicked souls delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them. For the wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ, King over all kings and amen.”
After finishing the violent prayer, Hegseth again made it clear that he was offering that as a prayer for the Iran war: “May the righteous be as bold as a lion. May we pray such prayer for our men and women in harm’s way right now. To think that such Americans exist on our behalf, on behalf of the American people, and that is certainly our prayer for them.”
After finishing the violent prayer, Hegseth again made it clear that he was offering that as a prayer for the Iran war: “May the righteous be as bold as a lion. May we pray such prayer for our men and women in harm’s way right now. To think that such Americans exist on our behalf, on behalf of the American people, and that is certainly our prayer for them.”
Other parts of the service served to bless Hegseth’s call for a holy war. Before he took to the stage, Undersecretary of the Navy Hung Cao called Hegseth “one of God’s mightiest men.” Cao also prayed for God to place “a hedge of protection over our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Air guardians, and Coast Guardsmen who are right now deployed in harm’s way.” He added in his prayer his request that God would make the war plans of President Donald Trump, Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Caine align with God’s will and succeed. Cao also borrowed phrases from Hebrews 12:1-2, Hebrews 10:24-25, and Romans 1:16 in his prayer.
Later, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, a former Southern Baptist pastor, preached. His message mostly centered on rejoicing in God even when things go poorly and trusting in God even during storms. He encouraged those present to lead by seeking to experience a miracle from God during life’s storms.
Mark Twain, “The War Prayer” (ca. 1904-5)
Source: Wikipedia. photo 1907
“O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle — be Thou near them! With them — in spirit — we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it — for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
(After a pause.) “Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits!”
It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.
The American writer Mark Twain wrote the following satire in the glow of America’s imperial interventions. Source
Flattery & Glory
If you were surrounded by people like Undersecretary of the Navy Hung Cao, who called you (Hegseth) “one of God’s mightiest men,” how would you react?