Some come to kneel and pray. Others simply stand transfixed by immensity of human
suffering played out on the Wall. No-one who visits the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C leaves unaffected. Countless names etched in stone. A solemn tribute that eloquently, though silently, memorializes the rare human virtue of self sacrifice. Personal sacrifice offered in defense of liberty, self determination, and country. Sacrifice offered not to idealize death or lionize the exigencies of war, but to protect and preserve the foundational principals of liberty and justice. Memorial Day is a time to remember the idea of sacrifice. And, to do so in ways that honor the totality of human sacrifice that war evokes. For each combatant felled on the field of battle there is a continuum of loss that transcends an individual life. Indeed the sacrifices of war are never isolated. The loss of a single woman or man due to the ravages of human conflict burdens the psyche of an entire nation. This Memorial Day we need to honor our fallen heroes. We need, as well, to consider the true meaning of sacrifice. Sacrifice is the willingness to offer one’s life in pursuit of a greater universal good. No reasonable human being desires war nor welcomes the prospect of death. Yet, those we honor on this Memorial Day were willing to accept the enduring possibility of death as a consequence of their service. Each time I walk through Salem Cemetery I am humbled by the number of veterans who rest on that solemn ground. Salem Cemetery is the final resting place for veterans from the War of 1812 to the present day. One can only imagine the sacrifices that these individuals and their families made to defend our nation and affirm the rights of all people to enjoy the privileges of democracy. It is often said that faith and war should never intersect. Perhaps that is true. However, it is not unreasonable to see within the ministry, suffering, death and Resurrection of our Lord the purest example of self sacrifice. It is, no doubt, that glorious example that instills the virtue of sacrifice in the hearts of women and men. Amid the festivities of Memorial Day weekend take time to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for those who were willing to face death to preserve the freedoms that we embrace today. Take a walk through Salem Cemetery to reflect on the courage of those veterans and their families who now rest in eternal peace. Finally, pray that God’s Holy Spirit will guide the leaders of this world to seek peace, to do justice and to walk humbly with God. Blessings, Pastor Tom Comments are closed.
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October 2022
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