Maybe it’s because it marks the end of the school year, or because it’s the “official start to summer,” or because it’s usually near my birthday or that I don’t have many close ties to fallen soldiers. I’m not quite sure of the reason, but I’ve never been a good observer of Memorial Day. I try to say a prayer of thanks for the men and women who have given their lives in service to the country, but beyond that, I go about my day, usually celebrating with a family cookout and some outdoor games. And, of course, enjoying those things is good and right. After all, why did soldiers fight for freedom if it isn’t to be enjoyed? However, as I began pondering Memorial Day, I realized that I needed to grow my definition of the day itself and in the discipline of remembering. One of the most frequent commands in Scripture is to “remember.” Often this is in conjunction with remember the Word and works of God Himself. However, I think the discipline can extend to remembering the people He’s given us as well. After all, God sees every sparrow that falls to the ground; not one death escapes His notice. This tells me that I should take time to remember those who have lost their lives.
Remember lives sacrificed for freedom.
This one may seem like a no-brainer. After all, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, “Memorial Day…is the nation’s foremost annual day to mourn and honor its deceased service men and women.”1 However, we can’t run past this significant purpose of the holiday. As America celebrates its 250th year as a nation, we have the opportunity to reflect upon and remember the thousands of men and women who have courageously fought for the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted. From the blood spilled in the War for American Independence, War of 1812 and the Civil War to the battlefields across the world in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, our liberty has not come cheap. We must remember our fallen service members.
Remember those who have lost their lives to abortion.
Though the Dobbs decision of 2022 may have reversed Roe vs. Wade, it certainly did not put an end to the senseless slaughter of millions of humans. In fact, according to some estimates, abortion numbers have actually risen in the past four years. Roughly one million babies have been murdered per year since the landmark ruling. Such a number should both sicken and stagger us. We ought to weep for every life snuffed out before it was even given a chance to take a single breath. Though you may not know an abortive mother personally, take time this weekend to remember the millions of lives sacrificed on the altar of convenience, selfishness, comfort, prosperity, or vanity. God certainly has not forgotten a single one; neither should we.
Remember long lives lived well to the very end.
As I write this, I know of two nonagenarian saints whose longs lives are nearing an end. In fact, by the time this post comes out, they may well be face to face with their Savior. Neither of these individuals lived a flashy life, but they are both examples of a life well lived. When they enter heaven’s gates, I expect that they will feel the embrace of their Savior and hear Him exclaim, “Well done!”
It’s easy, isn’t it, to get so busy with daily life that the oldest among us can slip away with hardly a thought. They become unable to attend church due to this ailment or that injury and soon, they’re just a name on a prayer list. This Memorial Day, think back on those whom you know who have run the race all the way to the finish and have joined that faithful “cloud of witnesses.” Thank God for their example and ask that He give you the grace to keep running as well.
Remember lives lost too soon.
Virulent disease, tragic accidents, mental illness, addiction—realities of living in a world broken by sin—take the lives of many each year. Though theologically we acknowledge the impeccability of God’s timing, it seems that those who fall victim to pernicious cancer, suicide, or a car wreck are taken too soon. We scratch our heads at the mysterious and often painful ways of God, wondering how He could take a young and vital life before it had fully blossomed. We remember these souls through tears, but remember them we must.
Remember lives sacrificed for the Kingdom of Christ.
Because of the religious freedom that we have enjoyed for a quarter of a millennium, we Americans aren’t touched too often by the concept of martyrdom. Persecution can feel distant and even outdated. However, according to some research, around 9,000 followers of Christ are killed annually because of their faith.2 Nine thousand souls who did not cling to their life here and now but fixed their eyes on the Savior and considered the riches of eternity a reward worth any sacrifice required while on earth. Will you join me in remembering these fallen brothers and sisters in Christ? Let us give thanks to God for their bravery, faithfulness, and joy in their Savior. May their example and passion fuel ours as well.
I’m not saying that you need to skip the barbecue this Memorial Day and make the whole day somber and morose. I am saying, however (primarily to myself), that we shouldn’t just rush past the “memorial” part of the day. Let’s be intentional in our remembering and then turn our memorializing into prayer—prayer for our nation, prayer for our brothers and sisters facing persecution around the world, and prayers of thanksgiving for the many faithful brothers and sisters who have gone before us and now cheer us on our way.
1https://www.cem.va.gov/history/Memorial-Day-history.asp
2 https://globalchristianrelief.org/stories/shocking-statistics-on-christian-persecution/?c_src=2603NB1&c_src2=2603NB1-NB1
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