I was looking up some music for Easter program coming up at our church, and I just found this wonderful song by Joe Monto, written for a soldier named Chris Mason who died in an attack in Iraq in 2006. (I know, it’s not an Easter song) I read the background of the song, which persuaded me to search further into this soldier named Chris Mason. I don’t know anything about this soldier, but from people who knew him said he’s a Godly man. And I found some deep words from a testimony he shared at his church, which was briefly featured in CNN news when they announced the news about a deadly attacked in Iraq that killed him
YouTube - Chris Mason's full testimony
Here are Chris’ words, also posted on his Myspace profile
“Folks you just got to dig down deep, when things get tough for you, you got to remember you’re in a war. You’re in a battle for your soul people, you hear me? And it’s no joke. The bullets we play with are real over there [in Iraq], and the things that the Devil uses on us are real over here. We just got to hold tight, and stand firm.”
He found the true peace that God promised to all believers:
“You know the guys over there cannot understand it. I can lay my head right over on the window of the Humvee, and go sound asleep. They didn’t understand how I could do that. It’s because I have the peace of God in my heart, and if I do get killed there, that’s no tthe end of my life.”
Chris’ dad made a touching tribute to his son using old footages, and the song that Joe Monto wrote specific for Chris Mason. The song is called: Here On This Battlefield
My name is Chris Mason, I was born in ’74, raised in the Word, and all it stands for. My father was a soldier, my brother is the same. Not only do I fight for freedom, I fight in His name.
Now I’m here on this battlefield like many times before to stand between the tragedy, and the victims of this war. I fight for my country and my right to pray to God. It’s freedom I defend with my life, I gave my all.
I’m part of the fabric, that holds the flag together. I’m a modern day cowboy, who chose to answer the call. My ears they are ringing, and my brothers start to fall. The dust is dark, the guns are loud. I know I’m fighting to save us all.
I maybe gone, but the battle rages on. I’ll see you again one day. The freedom I’ve lived for, the freedom I fought for, and it’s all here, through heaven’s gates.
Now you’re here on this battlefield, like many times before. Remember all the troops that died, as heroes of this war. I fought for my country, now it’s your turn to take a stand. It’s freedom I defend with my life. I gave my all.
I hope you find encouragement through his testimony and the song, which was based on Chris Mason spoken words.