Strength for your journey
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Meditation for your Inspiration and Elevation
Mark 9: 2:5 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah "Luke 22:19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
The Christian’s Approach to Memorials
Our mediation today is in line with our Memorial Day Commemorations. I choose not to call them celebrations because many of those we commemorate gave their lives on the battlefield. Christians should not celebrate war even when they win them; but out of gratitude to those who give their lives to protect our lives and way of life, it is befitting that we commemorate them for their service and hold them dear to our hearts. Our memorials and commemorations show the depth of our appreciation.
Two scriptures serve as the background for these thoughts. In the first scripture, Peter, James, and John witness Jesus transfigured and talking with Elijah and Moses. Peter is so moved by the experience that he suggests they build tabernacles to memorialize the occasion.
In the next scripture Jesus is at the table with His disciples instituting, what we call, the Lord’s Supper. He tells His disciples that they are to keep this practice, and every time they repeat it, they will show their remembrance for Him.
These scriptures emphasize the importance of remembering, and the place of memorials in our memories. Memorials strengthen our memory of our memories. I will always remember my visit to the Viet Nam War Memorial to find my cousin’s name inscribed thereon. Gently rubbing my fingers across his name indelibly etched in my mind the memory of that experience, and of him. It is important for us to remember those who are important to us.
Calling to remembrance the great people and events of our lives indicates to others that those events and people have a lasting importance to us, which is why Jesus wanted His disciples to remember and repeat that last meal they were having together.
On Memorial Day, Americans of all faiths reflect on the contributions to our way of life made by those who fought and died for our freedoms. Many of them fell in battle but still live in our memories. As we embrace and enjoy the freedoms, they helped preserve for us, the least we can do is to remember them and tell others about them.
Through Memorial Day events and Memorials, we also show our appreciation. All Americans are indebted to our soldiers and their families. And regardless of what you think about war (and Christians should hate it) if you love freedom, you ought to appreciate those who offered their lives to preserve that freedom. The act of someone giving his/her life so that others can continue theirs is such a noble deed that Jesus said of it, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” So, it is appropriate to appreciate our soldiers, and to be thankful for their service.
Finally, however, Memorial Day, for the Christian, and I suspect, all people of goodwill, is a reminder of the waste and horror of war, and its contradiction to the will of God.
No one wins a war, and the greatest good that can come from a war would be the determination to avoid all future wars. Christians, who pattern their lives after the Prince of Peace, can never be at peace waging war with others of God’s children.
So, even as we memorialize, honor, and thank those who fought our wars, we work toward the day when there will be no more wars; that day that the prophet, Isaiah, spoke of: “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."
I hope you have a hopeful and meaningful Memorial Day weekend, and I think we all hope that the terrible war in Ukraine will soon come to an end, and the words of the prophet will be realized.
William Jenkins