A great and glorious Memorial Day to you! Looks like Sidney chose the right day for their Memorial Day ceremony; what a beautiful day it was yesterday! Today we have the wind back and the clouds are moving in. However, today is still the day we remember those who gave their lives for their country. Today we set aside the arguments over whether the country was right or wrong in a given case - those who served often had no choice in the matter - and we simply celebrate their ultimate sacrifice.
Today, we also come to John 1:5 in our study. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
Jesus also said that greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for his friends. We celebrate the lives laid down for our nation, but more often than not the life laid down was given for those buddies around the soldier in the fox holes, the sailor in the ship compartments, the pilots in the planes, and the Marines in the landing craft. A nation can be a bit far away and abstract when the possibility of death is close in combat. Friends, shipmates, buddies - these are close and human when the darkness threatens. That darkness doesn't dim the ultimate sacrifice.
Jesus gave his life as an example to us, and as a ransom for us. We enjoy freedom from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus. We enjoy freedom to worship through the sacrifice of many who died in the many conflicts our nation has become involved in over the years. At times we become impatient and frustrated over the darkness that seems to engulf our nation. We can be grateful today for the sacrifice that made possible the freedom of speech, the press, and public assembly that brings the darkness out into the open. We can also use that same freedom to take a stand for Christ and light up the darkness with His good news!
Thank God for the sacrifice of Christ and those soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who laid down their lives in our nation's service on this day,
Bucky
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