Here's another story. By now I'm sure we've all heard of this Pfc. Jesse who was rescued in a "daring" raid from a POW holding station in a hospital in Iraq. Her family and everyone in the town she grew up in were relieved, and that's wonderful. Here's what one celebrator had to say:

"Everyone's just saying they are so thankful Jesse is alive and prayer has caused this to happen. I said Jesse will never know the lives she has touched, the people who possibly have even come to know prayer and the Lord because of what happened."

WTF??? Here's some more:

"This is the most God-blessed kind of story I could imagine. The churches prayed. We all prayed. Miracles do happen."

I have no problem with people praying. But what about the five other soldiers from the same company that have yet to be rescued? Is no one praying for them? If they are, then what the fuck makes these people think that prayer will change things? This self-riteousness and sick, desperate need to feel some sort of control over the situation is scary and downright degrading. God didn't rescue Jesse Lynch. Navy SEALS and Army Rangers and CIA operatives rescued Jesse Lynch. In war, some people are lucky, and some aren't. Let's get used to the idea that there isn't one good goddammed thing we can do to change what's going on, and start hoping that this all works out, somehow.