The Man Beside Me

"When I get home and people ask me, "Hey, Hoot, why do you do it, man?  What are you?  Some kind of war junkie?  I won't say a goddamn word.  Why?  They won't understand.  They won't understand why we do it.  They won't understand that it's about the men next to you.  And that's it.  That's all it is."
~Sergeant First Class Norm Hooten~
~United States Army, Delta Force, During Battle Of Mogadishu October 3, 1993~

It's one of my favorite scenes from the film Blackhawk Down.  The veteran Delta Force operator Norm Hooten is reloading to go back out into the city of Mogadishu, which he just led a group of soldiers in a escape from.  His reason, "There's still men out there."  One needs to realize the inner structure of the First Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta, the Delta Force, in order to understand this mentality.  For the troopers of Delta are often the first men into action when called.  Theirs is no ordinary mission, for one Delta trooper once commented that they are only called into action when there is no other option.  The moto of this unit hints to their abilities, "Surprise, Speed, Success."  Norm Hooten embodied those qualities.  You won't find mention of them in too many publications, for they shy away from publicity.  Their unit home, at Fort Bragg North Carolina, is virtualy off limits to all but needed personel.  This is how they like it.  For they are at home among their team members, their brothers.   It seems at times that we men follow that same creed.  All too often we will shy away from everyone except our trusted friends.  I've been guilty of this for some time myself.  However, not only do we isolate oursleves from others, we take away opportunities our Lord may be directing our way to reach out to others.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their behavior.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But  how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 NKJV

There have been many books written on the subject of the importance of the bonds between christian men.  Obviously, someone thinks there is a market for this material.  Why is it important for men to bond with other believers?  Well, listen to the stories of a struggling christian wife whose husband deems it more important to celebrate Sunday morning watching football or on the golf course while his family attends church.  Instead of being the spiritual leader of his household, that role has somehow become reversed.  There are no Godly men in her husbands life for him to relate to.  Does she pray for such men in her husbands life?  I would venture to say yes.  Sorry, ma'am, they're out on the golf course.  Sound familiar?  I guess it should, that was me.  I would bet that I was not alone either.  Now, I won't go so far as saying that guys put God on the back burner, but in my case, other things became more important.  God wasn't manly enough.  Of course, the question remains, how many other men would have been impacted had I chosen to pursue God sooner?  For one cannot be the light of the earth when he's not in contact with others who may need to see it.  That being said, there is value in the christian fellowship of men.  As Norm Hooten pointed out, "It's all about the men next to you.  And that's it.  That's all it is."