This is a profound season for 3,245,900 young adults in America: graduating from high school, and they represent a unique generation. They – and their younger siblings – live in a period unlike any before: America has been at war – continually – through their entire lifetimes.
Years ago, the Joy family were contemporaries in our church. Their daughter, Shannon, was older than our kids, and on our babysitter “approved” list. We watched their Shannon grow up…
Shannon graduated from law school, then taught there. Without fanfare (and, unbeknownst to the folks at church), she moved to the east coast. In fact, she joined the CIA and became a counter-terrorism officer. She met a CIA colleague – Mike, a young man from Alabama, a Marine captain who had become part of the CIA’s Special Activities Division – at a Fourth of July party. He had two young daughters from his first marriage. Shannon and Mike were married, and their son Jacob Michael was born soon afterward.
The terror attacks of 9/11 led to the war in Afghanistan in October, 2001. One month later, Mike Spann was dispatched to the prison housing Taliban combatants at the Mazar-e-Sharif fortress. While there, hundreds of prisoners revolted, and Captain Spann became the first American casualty of the still-running conflict. His last act was to warn another colleague of danger whose life was spared…
Spann’s story has been retold across innumerable media outlets during this Memorial Day weekend. His star is one of 133 on the Memorial Wall of the CIA Headquarters; most are from the Special Activities Division. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
One month after Mike’s death, his first wife died of cancer. Mike’s three children became Shannon’s continuing assignment. For their family, every day is Memorial Day; Mike is gone, but not forgotten.
Hebrews 11 is God’s concise history of heroes whose service to His purposes placed them on the front lines in the ongoing war between Heaven and Hell. The inscription over the entry is the declaration: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see…” The chapter continues by reciting the exploits of historic heroes like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses, and summarizing great victories of faith. But God includes the tough stories as well: “There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated – the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.”
The fallen are not gone, and they’re not forgotten. In fact, God allows us this remarkable insight, as the tour continues in Chapter 12: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”
Forebears in the fight of faith – who have paid the ultimate sacrifice – are in the Stadium of Eternity, watching as we continue the battle that defined their life.
Remember America’s heroes today; remember the Kingdom’s heroes every day. Plan to be one of them, for the oncoming generations to venerate as they reflect on the models worth following.
Bob Shank
The Master’s Program
Thank you Bob for sharing about Shannon. I would imagine the continued story in how God provided + interceded in these years since for Shannon & children…
Bob as much as Mike did and died for I am just as impressed what role Shannon took on and continues to take on – she is also a real hero here.
Amen – Gone but not forgotten.
God bless & Godspeed.
As acute as always. Have a friend at the agency and recently attended an event in Beverly Hills to raise funds to support the families of fallen agents. Directors Haskell and Tenent spoke.