Maybe the toughest movie I have ever seen

I just saw the movie "The American Sniper." I found it to be deeply emotional and in many ways a difficult movie to process. I know there have been all kinds of attacks on and defenses of the movie, but i found none of that to be on point with what Clint Eastwood captured so profoundly. The driving theme was how the war experience altered the lives of soldiers and their family. In a general way this is an important reality of war in that the toll on the soldiers' families is significant. But Kyle's story was more than the typical soldier. After all, he was a legend. What was it about Kyle that was so special?

The childhood scenes of Chris Kyle focused primarily on his dad's emphasis on three kinds of people. There are sheep, wolves and those who protect the sheep from the wolves. Kyle was "bred" to deliver the victims of bullies from the terror of the bully. Bullies are wolves, those in this world that choose to inflict fear into the hearts and minds of others in order to control them.

Throughout the history of our world there have been bullies using military, economic, religious and political means to control others through fear. In our day this is best found in the Islamic terrorists who are using their religion to justify terror means of control. But specifically, there was an Islamic sniper that struck fear into the US troops in Iraq. It was this enemy sniper, the BULLY, that Kyle obsessed over.

Even when Kyle was home on leave he was haunted by the soldiers he could not protect from this sniper, always aware of the price he and his family was paying. The scene in the auto store where a soldier who Kyle had saved thanked him and told Kyle's son his dad was a hero, but you could see the anguish in Kyle as he looked at his son knowing his son paid a price for rescuing the soldier. His obsession was not an "Olympic style" competition of sharp shooters, but a commitment to rid the US soldiers of this terrorist's threat. The story is primarily how his tours to Iraq and time on leave built to a crescendo of focus to get this sniper, even at great risks to his fellow soldiers.

To me the movie did a marvelous job of making me realize (feel) the realities of the one who is chosen to protect others from the bully. It is a special calling that comes with a great personal price. Kyle did not want to be seen as a legend. He was not proud of his calling, but he could not abandon it. He paid a dear price for the liberation of many.

There's no pollyanna way to look at this reality that has existed from the beginning of time and will until Christ returns. There are bullies, those committed to controlling others thru fear and there will be the heroes, the protectors of the sheep. However, the role of the hero is not glamorous, it is costly!!!

certainly worth pondering and shedding a tear or two over ....