Great men in the history of the church had a sense of mission. This did not necessarily make them happy. Martin Luther was not a happy man most of his life. He fought depression and discouragement and the devil.

But he realized that mission and happiness are not always compatible. The young men and women in Iraq today are not over there seeking happiness. They have a mission to accomplish that involves hard slogging and sacrifice. We applaud them and thank God for them.

If freedom is better than bondage to Imams and Ayatollahs, then we must ask ourselves, "How much is freedom worth?" Is it worth the price of the blood of our finest and best? Some do not think so. The American Chickens in the 1960's said, "Better red and dead," and succeeding in turning over Cambodia and South Vietnam to a bloodbath, for the question is not whether or not blood will be shed, but by whom and for what reason.

Our enemies today do not hesitate to shed blood, and if their goal of bringing down America succeeds, then a blood bath of unimaginable scope will take place in the streets and villages of America just as it did in the Middle East and Asia Minor in the 6th and 7th centuries under the conquest of those Christian lands by Islam. Do not be confused about this. The blood will be shed.