WATCHWORD:
“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
“Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10
In Memoriam
I don’t recall if it was Memorial Day, but ten years ago I participated in a dedication ceremony for a “Peace Pole” on the campus of my retirement community. The multi-sided pole states in several languages our mutual hope for peace in our world. In our small community we have many of these symbols of peace, scattered in various locations where they serve as a reminder of what is important.
Today is Memorial Day. Not so much a celebration as a commemoration, the remembering and honoring those men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Since the Revolutionary War, America has been involved in more than 60 wars, not counting expeditions and campaigns, and conflicts with strange names such as Sheepeater, or White River, or Pine Ridge, Gaza, Ukraine, and the list goes on.
But it is the price of war that should be of concern to us. Casualties in the millions. Casualties is such a dehumanizing word…instead think of the blood of our young people, maybe your son or daughter! How many generations lost? How much talent lost? How much creativity lost?
I saw firsthand the ravages of war in Korea. My 19-year-old mind was overwhelmed by what I saw when we landed at Inchon Harbor and traveled in convoy to our base on the south side of the DMZ. The people, the countryside, the towns destroyed. I grew up during my time in Korea, with images that were hard to get out of my mind, but which have instructed me and remain a part of my current thinking. I was honored to serve my country.
Seven years ago I was privileged to be part of an Honor Flight of veterans paying homage to the fallen in Washington, DC. As a group, we visited every memorial and was struck by the knowledge of how many such sites we have. Each one was a striking representation of the characteristics of each conflict.
Across our nation there is a disappointing sense that peace is illusive, that to pursue it is a fool’s errand”, or not “cost-effective” or it would wreak havoc on our “military-industrial complex”,or it would get lost in our political garbage heap! Somehow, along the way, we have lost the very important guiding principles that were once so powerful that it caused the birth of our country! In God We Trust, and the belief that freedom without peace, or peace without freedom simply does not work unless the two are joined.
The reality is that we have been and still are a warring nation. We just can’t seem to stay at peace for very long. Our reasons for going to war always seem plausible at the time and at other times we are misled. One has to wonder how long this nation can continue to be the world’s peacekeeper?
And yet, we are a country founded “under God” and supremely gifted by our benevolent Lord with the wealth and resources to love in practical ways that moves toward peace, God’s peace. Let it be so for our children, and their children.
Closing Prayer:
Lord help this country work our way through internal stresses and restore us to a peace that reflects the commandments of our Lord and savior to love as he has loved us. Lord, the problems in this world are broad and go beyond our abilities to resolve. But while they may seem formidable we know that you are in charge and while we may feel a sense of being overwhelmed there is nothing that is impossible for You and so we give You all the honor and the glory, Lord and it’s with grateful hearts that we lay it all at the foot of Your cross, and say with all of our hearts we love you, Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.
