David Bloom, A Favorite Correspondent of Mine, Was a Christian!

Update on David Bloom's family and a continuing tribute, 10 years after his death - he died in Iraq on April 6, 2003

Arguably one of my favorite news personalities was David Bloom. He joined NBC in 1993 and became White House Correspondent in 1997. In 2003, he became one of 153 journalists who died in the Iraq war. Bloom was embedded with the Third Infantry Division. Tragically, he passed away when a blood clot traveled up from his leg to his lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism. He died at the age of 39. Bloom left behind his wife, Melanie, and three daughters: Nicole, Christine, and Ava.

What I did not know until I read of Chuck Colson’s account of David Bloom’s life and death in Anne Graham Lotz’ book, Why? Trusting God When You Don’t Understand, was that Bloom had become a Christian. After reading Chuck Colson’s book, Born Again, Bloom committed his life to Jesus Christ. Subsequently, he attended a weekly Bible study and, according to Colson, he was growing. Whenever Colson traveled to New York they would get together for mutual spiritual encouragement.

Upon hearing of Bloom’s death, Colson immediately questioned why. Finally, an evangelical Christian high up in the news media and he is taken away. Why would God take him in the prime of his life and career? Colson found the answer at the memorial service when Bloom’s faith was made known to an audience that was a cross-section of the who’s who of politics, entertainment and network news.