Memorial Day Sadness

Today is Memorial Day. Today is a day when we remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They gave their lives to defend that values and freedoms that we hold true.

I am grateful.

But I am also profoundly sad. Sad for lives lost, yes. But sadder for the ever-widening divisions in this country today…and how scripture and the Christian faith are being used to justify actions and beliefs that I fear are not of God.

We are becoming increasingly more about “me”—about “my rights” and “my freedoms,” me, me, me.

I can’t think of a place in the Bible where the narrative is about “me.” Yes, individual stories make up the canon that we know as scripture, but if we read deeper into the stories and truly search out the meaning of the narrative, we will find that the stories are about God and God’s redemptive work with God’s people…and we find, over and over again, people sacrificing themselves for the good of many—even when they don’t want to.

We are told, “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.” (Exodus 22:22)

We are commanded to, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31: 8-9)

We are challenged, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)

We are further told, “What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Jesus himself said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

And in one of the beautiful poignant and beautiful passages of scripture ever written, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

And after he lived for us, constantly laying down his life in prayer and sacrifice for us, he went and died for us…and came back to life for us…and sent his Holy Spirit to us to be with us in his absence…so that we can be near him wherever we are, under any circumstances we find ourselves in…surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses…or completely alone.

THIS is the Christian faith that I hold to. THESE are the truths that I hold self-evident. Yes. I live in a country that allows many freedoms. I stand on the backs of many men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I am so grateful.

But my faith is deeper than a country that is telling me that it’s all about me and my rights. It’s about us. ALL of us. And sacrificing as we must for the good of those created in God’s image—and that is all of humankind.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than Christ.” Colossians 2:8

God, help us. Amen.