The Making of a Moral Leader: Faith Under Pressure
What's Ray Saying?
Ray Christian
5.0 • 644 Ratings
🗓️ 8 April 2026
⏱️ 19 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the heart of the series, Ray and Chaplain Colonel Shabazz confront the moments that tested him — morally, spiritually, and institutionally. They explore the conflicts he witnessed, the burdens he carried, and the realities of being a Black Muslim officer in a system that often misunderstands both. This is where the quiet truths come out: the cost of service, the weight of conscience, and the thin line between obedience and survival. A powerful look at what happens when faith meets the machinery of war.
For more on Chaplain Colonel Shabazz, find him on Facebook or TikTok, and visit Ray at drraychristian.com.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | What's Ray saying? |
| 0:02.0 | This is the making of a moral leader, the story of Chaplain Colonel Shabaz, |
| 0:18.0 | the first Muslim full Colonel Chaplain in the United States Army. |
| 0:23.6 | Episode 2. |
| 0:25.6 | It wasn't that I loved the military. |
| 0:41.3 | It was like, this is the only thing that I could do, right? |
| 0:46.3 | I didn't have a trade. |
| 0:48.3 | I didn't have a skill. |
| 0:49.3 | At that time, I didn't have an education. |
| 0:50.3 | So when I'm coming up through the ranks, |
| 0:52.3 | after I straightened myself out to make E5, make a sergeant, I'm thinking to myself, hey, all that stuff they're doing over there, I'm out. |
| 1:02.0 | I ain't going to no parties. I ain't fussing with no supervisors. This is my last chance. |
| 1:09.0 | The military is a machine. |
| 1:12.6 | And for a black Muslim chaplain, that machine has sharp edges. |
| 1:18.6 | What crucible did they put you through? |
| 1:22.6 | I know the Army ain't giving away commissions. |
| 1:25.6 | Sergeant First Class Ritter. He's the guy who actually helped me through the paperwork. |
| 1:31.3 | I had a bonus for field artillery. |
| 1:33.9 | I got to wait three or four years before, you know, I get commission. |
| 1:37.2 | He said, no, it's not true. |
| 1:39.4 | He said, if you're moving from enlisted to a commission officer, they'll let you out of the contract. |
| 1:45.4 | I say, what? |
... |
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