My Soldier’s Creed

As a uniformed Soldier with a duty to defend and protect citizens of the United States and the United States Constitution, and as a follower of Jesus and the Gospel, I hereby resolve:

Because all people are created by God out of unconditional love, I will preserve and protect the inherent worth of all people;

Because I do not fight against flesh and blood but against principalities and authorities and this present darkness; I will counter and oppose all forms of racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, ageism and all other forms of discrimination as ills created by humans and perpetuated at individual levels and through intricate power structures;

Because a Solder defends and protects those who might be exploited, I will stand against those who stand to harm others;

Because I am a Soldier charged to defend the Constitution, I understand its evolution and historical context;

Because I understand the Constitution’s evolution and historical context, I know the dark places in history where sacrifices were made to extend the freedom and liberty promised to all but not realized; to minorities, to the poor, to women, and to the LGBTQ communities. I recognize this freedom still must be extended where it has been withheld;

Because I am a Soldier, I will uphold law and order that protects life and property recognizing that violence unchecked begets violence;

Because I am a Soldier and follower of Jesus, I will live by the creed that I must overcome evil with good, that I must counter all forms of injustice and stand up for the person that is exploited, demeaned, and robbed of equal and fair opportunity, whose life is devalued because of color, ethnicity, age, orientation, and gender;

Because I am a Soldier and follower of Jesus, I realize that the ills of society have institutional ties eliminating devalued persons and groups access to critical faculties of finance, education, work and more;

And because I am a Soldier and follower of Jesus, I must accomplish this with peace and non-violence never seeking to harm in word, deed, or intent;

To this, I will defend. I am a follower of Jesus and a Soldier.

REV COL Lisa Pierce