The Hope of War: A Chaplain's Journey to Abiding Faith, Enduring Hope and Love Under Fire, (Paperback)

Sometimes, the greatest (and only) thing we can offer is ourselves. When Larry Cripps was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, he had little idea of what lay in store for him and his future comrades, both on and off the battlefield.

At the risk of his own life, in exchange for a future he couldn't imagine, Larry began a journey that would go much further than the jungles of Southeast Asia, the deserts of the Middle East, or anywhere else he deployed in service of his country. Progressing from armored cavalry to the Navy Chaplain Corps, Larry discovered that the wildest war zones of all were the hearts and minds of the service members he counseled and cared for.

They were men and women who desperately sought healing. Frustrated troops who demanded truth from leaders. People wounded and haunted by the savagery of warfare, who longed to regain a healthy sense of perspective and self-image. Fellow veterans who risked life and limb, and sidestepped death - only to spend the rest of their lives wondering what it all meant. Family members trying to stay ahead of life's demands, civilian or military, and facing the challenges of relating to their loved ones in uniform. Larry's journey would take him to a place of rare distinction - serving and praying for warriors and their families through every US military conflict and front, from 1965 through to the present day.

The Hope of War offers a way out of madness to anyone blindsided by hardship, trauma, tragedy or transition. In a manner both uplifting and raw, Larry's journey reminds readers to dig deep beneath the "surface issues" of politics, history, current events and public opinion, to look for the real gold of growth and maturity under fire, according to a timeless, Biblical model.

Amidst the raucous backdrop of competing visions and interpretations of a dark time in American history, The Hope of War cuts through the noise and invites young readers to take their first step toward uncharted destiny, through a mysterious path they don't yet understand. It reminds older readers of the status they earned by responding to the challenge, and how crucial their experience and wisdom are in this hour of history.

The Hope of War is a quintessential, timeless and real-life tale of an average person, forged into an extraordinary leader, trusted by senior commanders, shaped by forces and events far beyond his comprehension or control - who found life-changing moments, simply by saying "Yes."