On June 6, 1944, the Allied Invasion Force took to the beaches of Normandy. Though every man that fought that day is a hero to me that deserves the utmost respect, one sticks out in my mind; Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cole. On June 11 the 101st Airborne was ordered to take Carentan. In this attack Lt. Col. Robert’s men were trapped by enemy fire. Gun shots, mortar fire, and machinegun fire kept his entire unit pinned down. Roberts, being a leader, was personally leading his men into battle to take four bridges near Carentan (which was rare, the higher up in rank a person is, the less likely he is to see combat). With bullets flying, casualties rising, and no hope left, Robert’s picked up a rifle with the bayonet attached and gave the order to charge the enemy. He did not give this order and then sit back; he led the charge. He asked the impossible of his men but then led them into battle providing the ultimate example of how they were to act. His actions won him the Medal of Honor, the highest award any military person can be awarded. Whereas most men would have led the battle from the back, Lt. Col. Roberts chose to be among his men, showing them how to fight and what to do.
We need pastors like this. We need pastors that are not only willing to get up Sunday morning and tell us how to live, but pastors who are willing to get up Monday through Saturday and show us how to live. That is the purpose of this essay. Too often we look for pastors that have the right look, the right sound, or can keep the crowd awake. We may get what we want but we end up regretting what we chose. We need leaders that will lead by example that will get in the thick of things instead of telling us to from their lofty pulpit position. We need Godly men in the pulpit.
