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May 28, 2021Today we give thanks for those who have served their country in the armed forces, and we mourn the loss of those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Perhaps the most famous speech to honor our war dead came on Nov. 19, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln stood on the battlefield at Gettysburg to dedicate a portion of that land as a national cemetery. After his opening sentences, President Lincoln said:
“The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here; but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer; it is a weekend on which many folks have come to our island to enjoy the beach.
It is easy to be sentimental rather than prophetic on a day such as this but permit me to take an honest look of what in our day might be what President Lincoln called “the unfinished work” that we need to be dedicated to:- At our best we are a nation of immigrants that welcomes those who come in peace seeking a better life.
- At our best we are a nation that places the highest possible value on human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.
- At our best we will be a nation where our legislators can work together to face into the greed of insurance companies and fix our broken health care system so that everyone has basic health care.
- At our best we should be a nation led by men and women interested in serving the common good, not career politicians or TV personalities.
- At our best we can still be a nation with a government of the people, by the people and for the people, not simply of, by, and for the rich.
- At our best we are a nation of diverse peoples where all are treated equally.
- At our best we can still be a nation that is respected by the world, not for its great power, but for its greater goodness.
And so, it is for us, the living, to truly honor our war dead by taking up the unfinished work for which they made the ultimate sacrifice. Whatever it is that God is calling us to as individuals, as families, as a nation and as a world will not be achieved without effort or cost, but as we journey forward as people of faith, we will know that our God does go with us and gives us what we need to be able to build a better world as we move ever closer to His Kingdom.
Taking the Word Home: Prayerfully Reread -- Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
Moses heard the voice of God from a burning bush. How about you? Where do you hear the voice of God? In … starving people … doctors and nurses … people working for eco-justice … Pope Francis … nature … novels … music ... quiet moments… your prayer… your heart? How can you become more aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life?
