Pastor Q's Blog: Eastertide Devotion

Monday, May 26, 2014

Eastertide Devotion – Memorial Day, May 26

many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
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.
Isaiah 2:3-4

Our American observance of Memorial Day originated with the end of the Civil War as a day to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. Its original name was Decoration Day as the graves of these fallen loved ones were decorated with flags and flowers.

Peace following the Civil War was fleeting and the United States became engaged in World Wars I and II. Thousands upon thousands were added to the list of American war dead. Next came the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the wars in the Middle East. Today Memorial Day is designated to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.

Early in the conflict that came to be known as World War I, John McCrae, a Canadian poet and soldier, fought in the second battle of Ypres in the Flanders region of Belgium where the German army launched one of the first chemical attacks in the history of war. Following seventeen days of fighting, McCrae, while standing at the fresh grave of a close friend, noticed how quickly poppies grew in this new cemetery. The next day he composed “In Flanders Fields” while sitting in the back of an ambulance.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Many of us were required to memorize this poem in grade school and even until today, poppies are a symbol of Memorial Day.

As we remember and commemorate those who have died in service to our country, it is important to remember that war is a most horrific reminder of sin in our world. The only answer to sin is God’s own Son, the Prince of Peace. He came into the world to grant us forgiveness, life and salvation. During this Easter season we look forward to the day of resurrection when all who make war shall “beat their swords into plowshares.”

Prayer: Lord thank you for the freedom I have because others have sacrificed their lives for me. Grant that I may experience the peace of your kingdom, now in time and there in eternity, through Jesus Christ. Amen.