An Inspirational Moment With Fox News Anchor Harris Faulkner
By John Grimaldi
Most of us are reluctant to bring up the subject of religion in conversations, according to a Pew Research survey, but Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, not so much. She is unabashed when the subject comes up. In fact, she’s written a book about it called Faith Still Moves Mountains. Faulkner delved into the topic in a recent conversation with Rebecca Weber, CEO of the Association of Mature American Citizens, on AMAC’s Better For America podcast.
While some people might be reluctant to “speak boldly about faith … I don’t care. I’m unapologetic about how I worship and how I get through covering tragedies of these hard times. In this book, I get to show people some of the stories that I’ve worked on and also some of the people who’ve survived who boldly talked about their faith. As a journalist, I’m tasked with being a witness, but I now am telling the entire story, faith included, and everybody is more blessed by that, especially me, the journalist.”
As an Emmy award-winning reporter and anchor at Fox News over the past quarter century, Faulkner has covered her share of compelling stories. Her book is a collection of real-life inspiring tales of those who prayed and, in critical moments, had their prayers answered. She said that she wrote the book when she realized that some of the stories that make headlines are tales of faith, tales worth telling.
“Remember the Colorado theater shooting,” she said, “and the mom who grabbed her daughter just inches away from the killer, James Holmes? Remember him with the bright orange hair? We know these stories. So some of what’s in the book is ripped from the headlines and stories that we all would have covered in the news. But to go deeper and to find out, well, how did that mom get her two teenage daughters out of there? What was she doing? She was praying mightily the entire time. And she said, you know, we all think to pray during a proverbial storm. But if we could just pray when times are good, too, if our children could see us doing that, if our teenagers particularly could see us during the pandemic, but also before and after saying, praise God, we will get through this. I’m raising teenagers and I’m trying to teach them that when someone asks you ‘what do you need,’ tell them you need someone to pray for you.”
Faulkner went on to focus on the power of prayer. She recalled a chance encounter with the grandson of General George S. Patton. “We talked about our history as military brats, and then he said, I want to share something with you. He takes out his cross and he said, ‘I still have the cross that my family gifted me as the oldest of [Patton’s] grandsons.’ And I said, you’re wearing something from George S. Patton right now. And he said, ‘I have his scripture book handwritten with what he prayed before the Battle of the Bulge and what he prayed regularly.’ Faith is a part of our history, Rebecca. You’re so right. And sometimes we have to be reminded.”
Faulkner expressed how “[the Lord] can connect you with just the right people … I never knew that [Patton] wore a cross around his neck and went to a chaplain before the Battle of the Bulge … That great generation was praying. It’s leadership in the military. Now, look at our military today. I don’t want to make this too much about politics, but we have to be careful tinkering with the things that have foundationally gotten us to where we are now, [things such as] the power of prayer. Patton knew it. [And it was] the Lord [who] brought into my life the grandson of General George S. Patton for this book.”
As a witness to the stories shared in Faith Still Moves Mountains, Faulkner said “I will always share what I found to be true and encourage people to know that their story isn’t done being written yet.” She and Rebecca had connected over their faith and the belief that God is not done with us yet, a message Faulkner heard from the Lord in prayer. And so, Faulkner reminds us as listeners to “lean back in. And when you do, the Lord leans into you and watch what mighty, mighty changes and victories on his time and per his will He will usher into your life.”