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You know, I mentioned drugs a moment ago. And I hope you'll forgive me if I digress just long enough—because I don't often get the chance to say this publicly—how proud I am of Nancy and the job she's doing helping to fight drug addiction.

I do that every day for her. [Laughter]

I know that each of you is contributing in your own way to rebuilding America, and I thank you. As broadcasters, you have unique opportunities. And all of us, as Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, have a special responsibility to remember our fellow believers who are being persecuted in other lands. We're all children of Abraham. We're children of the same God.

You might be interested to know about a few of the changes that we're making at the Voice of America. Our transmissions of Christian and Jewish broadcasts are being expanded and improved. This year, for the first time in history, the Voice of America broadcast a religious service worldwide—Christmas Eve at the National Presbyterian Church, in Washington, D.C.

Now, these broadcasts are not popular with governments of totalitarian powers. But make no mistake, we have a duty to broadcast. Aleksandr Herzen, the Russian writer, warned, "To shrink from saying a word in defense of the oppressed is as bad as any crime." Well, I pledge to you that America will stand up, speak out, and defend the values we share. To those who would crush religious freedom, our message is plain: You may jail your believers. You may close their churches, confiscate their Bibles, and harass their rabbis and priests, but you will never destroy the love of God and freedom that burns in their hearts. They will triumph over you.

Malcolm Muggeridge, the brilliant English commentator, has written, "The most important happening in the world today is the resurgence of Christianity in the Soviet Union, demonstrating that the whole effort sustained over 60 years to brainwash the Russian people into accepting materialism has been a fiasco."

Think of it: the most awesome military machine in history, but it is no match for that one, single man, hero, strong yet tender, Prince of Peace. His name alone, Jesus, can lift our hearts, soothe our sorrows, heal our wounds, and drive away our fears. He gave us love and forgiveness. He taught us truth and left us hope. In the Book of John is the promise that we all go by—tells us that "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

With His message and with your conviction and commitment, we can still move mountains. We can work to reach our dreams and to make America a shining city on a hill. Before I say goodby, I wanted to leave with you these words from an old Netherlands folk song, because they made me think of our meeting here today:

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing.

We all do extol Thee, Thou leader triumphant

And pray that Thou still our Defender wilt be.

Let Thy congregation escape tribulation.

Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

To which I would only add a line from another song: America, America, God shed His grace on thee.

Thank you again.

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June (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48