Reverend M. William Howard, Jr.

What the Shiites imagined, maybe what they had seen on TV, movies, you know, in walks a stream of people, obviously hostages. And some of them were wiping their eyes and looking around. And of course, they're looking at me like, who the hell is this guy? They looked as if they had been kept in maybe a place not so bright. They didn't look disheveled or abused or anything.

What the Shiites imagined, maybe what they had seen on TV, movies, you know, in walks a stream of people, obviously hostages. And some of them were wiping their eyes and looking around. And of course, they're looking at me like, who the hell is this guy? They looked as if they had been kept in maybe a place not so bright. They didn't look disheveled or abused or anything.

What the Shiites imagined, maybe what they had seen on TV, movies, you know, in walks a stream of people, obviously hostages. And some of them were wiping their eyes and looking around. And of course, they're looking at me like, who the hell is this guy? They looked as if they had been kept in maybe a place not so bright. They didn't look disheveled or abused or anything.

And so one of the students, and let me just say the hostages were taken by and held by university-age students. And one of them said to the incoming people, this is Reverend Howard. He's going to conduct Christmas services.

And so one of the students, and let me just say the hostages were taken by and held by university-age students. And one of them said to the incoming people, this is Reverend Howard. He's going to conduct Christmas services.

And so one of the students, and let me just say the hostages were taken by and held by university-age students. And one of them said to the incoming people, this is Reverend Howard. He's going to conduct Christmas services.

Oh, with a lot of reluctance. You might say suspicion, like, who is this guy? And once, you know, they were all seated, I said, look, if I were in your situation, I would be suspicious of me too. And I said, in so many words, look, I have a family. I'd rather be at home. But doggone it, I agreed to come over here because the nation is concerned about you.

Oh, with a lot of reluctance. You might say suspicion, like, who is this guy? And once, you know, they were all seated, I said, look, if I were in your situation, I would be suspicious of me too. And I said, in so many words, look, I have a family. I'd rather be at home. But doggone it, I agreed to come over here because the nation is concerned about you.

Oh, with a lot of reluctance. You might say suspicion, like, who is this guy? And once, you know, they were all seated, I said, look, if I were in your situation, I would be suspicious of me too. And I said, in so many words, look, I have a family. I'd rather be at home. But doggone it, I agreed to come over here because the nation is concerned about you.

And then they began to warm up because I was not kidding around with them. You know, I said, look, if you don't want Christmas, we could just sit here until they come and get you. And then at some point, one or two of them would say, no, Reverend, we respect what you're doing. And what do you have planned?

And then they began to warm up because I was not kidding around with them. You know, I said, look, if you don't want Christmas, we could just sit here until they come and get you. And then at some point, one or two of them would say, no, Reverend, we respect what you're doing. And what do you have planned?

And then they began to warm up because I was not kidding around with them. You know, I said, look, if you don't want Christmas, we could just sit here until they come and get you. And then at some point, one or two of them would say, no, Reverend, we respect what you're doing. And what do you have planned?

And I said to them, look, I don't know your religious affiliation, so I'm not going to come and impose my own religious tradition on you. So you need to talk to me about what your needs are. And I remember very early in the conversation, before anything that we might consider religious began to happen, they asked me about the NFL playoffs.

And I said to them, look, I don't know your religious affiliation, so I'm not going to come and impose my own religious tradition on you. So you need to talk to me about what your needs are. And I remember very early in the conversation, before anything that we might consider religious began to happen, they asked me about the NFL playoffs.

And I said to them, look, I don't know your religious affiliation, so I'm not going to come and impose my own religious tradition on you. So you need to talk to me about what your needs are. And I remember very early in the conversation, before anything that we might consider religious began to happen, they asked me about the NFL playoffs.

Yeah, are you really who you say you are, you know?

Yeah, are you really who you say you are, you know?

Yeah, are you really who you say you are, you know?

And then, at some point, someone asked if I would offer a prayer. And we had a prayer. You know, the prayer was sort of a culmination of the conversation of acquaintance. And it was a prayer of contrition, a prayer recognizing the need for the intervention of a divine spirit and so forth and so on, but it was not long.

And then, at some point, someone asked if I would offer a prayer. And we had a prayer. You know, the prayer was sort of a culmination of the conversation of acquaintance. And it was a prayer of contrition, a prayer recognizing the need for the intervention of a divine spirit and so forth and so on, but it was not long.