This weekend, America will once again celebrate Memorial Day as the unofficial start of the summer season. This weekend will find many of us doing the ‘BBQ’ thing with burgers, brats and ‘dogs’. Indianapolis will once again run the ‘500’ at breakneck speeds. There will be parades, concerts, races and get togethers on every block, in every town, in every state of a truly wonderful country. However, Memorial Day has its roots in the tragedy of soldiers who have lost their lives in the military service of their country. The deepest parts of those roots reach back to the American Civil War and the nearly 600,000 Americans who died in a brutal war between the states. We were a nation devastated by the massive impact of so many who died in such an unfortunate conflict. The nation grieved the loss of so many that it could never forget.
Since that time we have purposed to be a people who honor the sacrifice of men and women who have voluntarily put their lives on the line for the causes of our nation around the world. Most of these men and women suspected that they would return home and live a long and prosperous life. Soberly, however, we recognize that over the 240+ years of our nations history nearly 1.5 million American soldiers have paid this terrible price. There is a beautiful pride that we can have in those who have given their lives. There is also an enormous pain in having lost those whom we love.
Truly, the words of Jesus ring true for us today when we understand that, “Greater love has no one that this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends…” (John 15:13-14a). Jesus modeled this timeless truth that lies at the foundation of the character of God. Jesus purposefully lived like no other person has ever lived. He loved like no one else has ever loved. But at the end of His brief time on earth (so far), He did what He actually came to do… giving up His life for those He would call His friends, and even for those who would call themselves His enemies. He gave it all for those who may or may never appreciate His sacrifice. He did it because love and sacrifice defined who He was and what He was all about. We are simply the object of His love by the nature of His person – not our own.
May we be a people who stop and sincerely say thanks to those who have loved so deeply. May we also be a people who stop and sincerely say thanks to the one who gave Himself for our brokenness. May we also be a people who would love like Him, and give ourselves for the good of those around us and the beauty of God revealed in and through us all.