John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”.
Memorial Day is a very special day for remembering those who have given their lives to defend ours. As a boy, I remember parades with marching soldiers, led by veterans carrying the flag. I remember seeing tears come to the eyes of my father and other grown men who had served in World Wars I & II. My father had served as a machine-gunner during the first World War in France. As with most combat veterans, he didn't talk about it much, but he kept a newspaper describing how a young lieutenant had fallen on a hand grenade that landed in a trench, in order to save his men. All Dad said was that it was his lieutenant! I still have that paper.
It seems people were more conscious in those days of the sacrifices paid for our freedom. There were always people visiting the cemeteries, decorating the graves of fallen soldiers. People knew by the single star flag in the window of a home that a family member was serving or had lost their life in the war. In many cases, there was more than one such flag. The fallen weren't just numbers and statistics—they were brothers, fathers, and neighbors, all loved and mourned. I remember a young man named Jerry, who graduated from high school just as I became a freshman. He was the quarterback of our football team, president of the student council, an excellent trumpet player, and a very popular young man. He enlisted in the Marines right out of high school. Within a year, we heard that he had been killed by machine-gun fire in Korea. These experiences and memories make it personal.
I served four years in the United States Air Force, but refuse to stand up on Memorial Day to be “recognized for my service.” I don't believe I'm alone. I know the argument—that everyone who has served was willing to give their lives, and I get it. However, for me, Memorial Day is to remember those who did give their lives. Next to them are all those who were wounded, and came home with broken bodies or broken spirits. No one can come close to imagining the experiences of so many young men, even before they have reached the age of twenty-one. At that age, you are strong, fast, fit, and feel indestructible. You're pretty sure you have already learned everything a person needs to know. But then, you are suddenly in the middle of a war and being shot at by men you've never seen or known. You form a comradery with the other men around you, joking and getting to know about each other—families, backgrounds, experiences. Then, there is an explosion, and these guys are killed, or mutilated right in front of you. Or, you might be the one who wakes up in a muddy, bloody field or a military hospital bed. The shock is devastating and doesn't fade—an image you'll have in your mind for the rest of your life. These are the men we should remember with gratitude, honor, and respect.
For me, the Flag has always represented these men and their sacrifices. In the military, you learn to equate the flag with freedom, home, history, duty, and honor. I'd like to explain some of the symbolism of the Flag.
There are thirteen stripes, representing the first thirteen colonies that formed our Great “Nation Under God” 241 years ago. The Red represents the blood shed for our freedoms; the White represents the purity of the one we follow—“In God We Trust!” There are fifty stars (one for every state) on a background of Blue representing our eternal destiny, Heaven—if we are a people “under God” and trusting in Him).
Therefore, we cannot have a “Memorial Day” without honoring the greatest sacrifice of all, God's only Son, Jesus Christ, sacrificed for our sins on Calvary's tree. He is our Creator, our
Isaiah 53:4-5: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon
John 19:16-18: “Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took
There is a line of a gospel song that goes; “He gave His life-blood for even me!” It is through Him that we can have peace, joy, and the “hope that is within us” that we will spend eternity with Him, in the place He has prepared for us.
In the last few decades, we have allowed God to be taken out of our schools, our public square, and even close to
Mark 8:38
As a nation, we have sinned by our apathy, “politically correct” tolerance, and our “turning away from God”! As a result, we see our nation more divided, more affected by crime and violence, more immoral, more disrespectful, more dishonest, and more decadent than we can remember. In our schools, our children are being taught things that wouldn't have even been considered when we were children. There is only one answer:
2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”.
I have seen indications of the Body of Christ in the United States, starting to repent and seek God's forgiveness. I believe we have been given a “window of opportunity” to turn back to Him, to proclaim Him, to glorify Him, and to reach as many lost souls as possible. I believe this should be a Memorial Day during which we should have a great deal to remember, and a great deal to resolve.
“In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy let us die to make men free;
His truth is marching on!
Glory, glory, hallelujah, glory, glory, hallelujah.
Glory, glory, hallelujah, His truth is marching on”!