The Missionary Soldier

David Eubank, a U.S. military veteran and founder of the Free Burma Rangers, defies easy categorization: he's a Christian missionary who carries a gun, a man who prays for enemies he's just killed, and a father who brings his children into war zones. In this powerful episode of BBC's Heart and Soul, Eubank recounts surviving five wounds in combat, including a near-fatal encounter with ISIS in Mosul where a three-year-old girl died in his arms—triggering a crisis of vengeance that he only resolved through a biblical revelation: 'Revenge belongs to me, says the Lord.' What keeps him going isn't bravery, but a faith so raw it demands he confront his own capacity for hate. He argues that love—not force—is the only sustainable force in war, and that even when fighting evil, one must never become it. His work is not about winning battles, but about bearing witness to suffering with compassion, praying for the dead, and refusing to let hatred consume him. For Eubank, faith isn't a shield against fear—it’s the reason he walks toward gunfire anyway. The episode reveals a profound paradox: the most effective humanitarian work in war zones often requires the skills of a soldier, but the moral center must be rooted in love and forgiveness. Eubank’s team operates without pay, guided only by three principles: love, literacy, and moral courage. He admits he’s more afraid than ever at 65, yet still runs toward danger.