Yesterday we had a conversation in the choir loft about secular vs. religious holidays. While not a religious holiday, Memorial Day is a day of faith, and yes, a sacred one that should transcend all faith traditions.
We in the USA mark the last Monday of May as a day to honor and remember those who gave the gift and sacrifice of their lives in their service in the armed forces of the country. Sounds secular, right?
One of our most basic recognized rights in this country is the freedom to worship freely. While we take this for granted, we don’t often stop to think how rare this was in 1791 when it was included in the Bill of Rights.
Without the sacrifice of those we remember today, there’s a good chance we would not have been allowed to worship as we please.
As it is, church attendance has dropped to an all-time low, perhaps in part because of the avoidance of government to support religion in any way. When I was growing up, heaven forbid that any school would host a sports tournament that included play on Sunday morning. This is no longer the case.
Whatever you think of the reasoning for certain wars in our history, never forget that each individual who took an oath in the armed services agreed to pay whatever price was asked by our nation, including the cost of their lives.
I don’t know who said this, but it’s worth repeating:
Today, please take time to remember and give thanks for the sacrifices of those who gave their lives so that we may worship as we please and live in freedom.
a samaritan woman 