April 11, 2025

It All Started with Tom Cruise

It was March 11, 1987 when Top Gun was released on VHS and the whole country could watch the blockbuster in the comfort of their own home. My dad was always on the cutting edge of technology (as much as you can be in the mid-80’s): we upgraded from a black and white TV to a color TV in 1985, got a VCR the next year, and then on that spring evening in ‘87 Dad brought home the movie that introduced me to the United States Navy.

Go West, Young Man

I know I said above that “It All Started With Tom Cruise”, and that’s true for the purposes of this article; but I’m always amazed at how, for many of us, it also always seems to start young. So many of the important aspects that make up my life, and the lives of most of the people that I know, are the result of the influences that shape us in our youth.

For instance, I remember watching that movie, and then having a conversation with my Dad, (who was member of the armed forces for 27 years), about what it would be like to be an Officer in the military. There was something about the coolness of the guys in that film, the uniforms they wore, the confidence they had, and the fearlessness they possessed that just impacted me. However, a lot of that was Hollywood: there wasn’t a lot of substance…

But when I was twelve he did it again---Cruise starred in one of my favorite films of all time, a movie called A Few Good Men, about a team of Navy Jag Corps Lawyers who were called upon to defend two Marines accused of murder. This film spoke to me a little bit differently; sure Tom Cruise was still cool, and the uniforms and the leadership structure were fascinating and attractive…but this story was about more than just the surface-level aspects of serving our country. It was about something bigger, and greater, and larger…it was about THE TRUTH. And the greatest line in the films asks, point-blank: can you handle the truth??

Eight Is Enough

The truth, as it were, was something I had been obsessed with ever since I was a child, wanting very early on to have an understanding of God, the meaning of life, and what it was all about. I was eight years old when I accepted Christ, was Baptized, and soon after felt the call to go into ministry and dedicate my life to serving God. But what I couldn’t figure out was this: how did this calling on my life correspond to these other, strong influences that were constantly inspiring me? Where was the coloration?

My father must have sensed this, because he immediately tried to meld the two worlds together so that maybe I could see a path forward. He said: “Well, you know, you could be a minister and also serve in the military. They have Chaplains…”

Chaplain? What was that?

Dad began to explain in detail this very specialized kind of ministry, crafting a picture in my head---a vision of something that I knew nothing about, but that intrigued me greatly even at this young age. And this was something that we continued to talk about over the years, forming a seed that began germinating slowly, only to begin to blossom at the right time. God’s time…

Better Late Than Never

Once I realized I could be a version of that image that I saw in those films that inspired me, but still be true to the calling that God had on my life, I don’t think there was ever a question that I would eventually become a Military Chaplain. And though the road toward this particular calling of God has been rather winding (I NEVER thought I would be joining this late in life! J), it is a beautiful reminder that when we submit to God, HE gets to choose where and when to put us based on HIS desires.

And so, in a little more than three weeks, I will head to Officer Development School and Navy Chaplain School in Newport Rhode Island, where I will be prepared and equipped with foundational leadership skills for use as a professional in the United States Navy Reserve, learning how to provide religious ministry and support to members of the United States Military.

A Final Word

In closing, I ask for prayers for my family while I’m away, and for myself---as I will greatly miss them and my church family---and as I will be involved in something that is more challenging than I’ve ever experienced.

*FYI: Over the fourteen Sundays I am away, some amazing Worship Leaders will be preparing your hearts to hear the Word of God each week, and I ask that you come prepared to worship God every Sunday, KNOWING AND EXPECTING that He will do amazing things!

I look forward to seeing many of you soon. HOPPY EASTER!

Darin Hudson

Ross Worship Pastor &

Programming Manager

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