“Let Us Remember!”
May 30, 2022
Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning to summer, a day of barbecues and picnics, and also a solemn day to remember those who have passed from this life. Specifically, for war veterans and the families of fallen soldiers, Memorial Day is a day of deep significance! Those who personally have been affected by war, understand and appreciate this day of remembrance.
The other day I attended a funeral service at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, for the unattended, those veterans who passed away without family or friends to attend their burial. Once a month, a service is held for these veterans and members of the community show up to honor them. Cars process to a pavilion, under which the names of the veterans are read, and a short religious ceremony is conducted by men and women in dress uniforms, white gloves, and rigid posture. Gun shots and taps conclude the solemn ceremony meant to honor these veterans and prevent them from making their final journey alone. Even though I did not know these veterans who were being honored, I was overwhelmed with emotion.
Memorial Day, as Americans have come to know it, began in the years immediately following the Civil War. But until World War II, most people knew it as “Decoration Day”. It was a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flags, and with flowers that were plentiful in May. It was a day to remember those who had given, as President Lincoln said, “the last full measure of devotion” to defend their nation. It was a day to remember what the honored dead had died to defend.
The American soldier who gave his or her life for U.S. citizens to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, reminds me of Jesus Christ who fought a battle against the evil of this world and who laid down His life for our freedom.
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”—Romans 5:8
Let us remember, this Memorial Day, the sacrifice of so many soldiers who have protected our freedoms, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who freed us from the penalty of sin so that we could enjoy all eternity in His presence.
Let us remember!