Memorial Day 2020 Reflection
With tomorrow marking the start of Memorial Day weekend, I think there is no more appropriate topic to look at for these few minutes than legacy. Memorial Day (or Decoration Day, as it was originally known) is one of my favorite secular holidays because it is probably the most sacred secular holiday on our calendar. After all, the sole purpose of Memorial Day is to honor those men and women who have died in service to others - and an attitude of laying down your life for another does have some strong scriptural roots.
Part of why Memorial Day is so fascinating to me is that in setting aside a whole day to honor those who died in the line of duty it has the capacity to force us to look at our own legacies. No matter when, or how, or under what circumstances, at some point we will come to the end of the line. Now, don’t get me wrong - ultimately our accountability is only to God.
Before we go any further, let’s hear a word from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:
From Ephesians, chapter one, verses fifteen through nineteen:
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
Paul’s writing an encouraging word to the folks - a word commending them for the faith he has heard they have in Christ, and the love they have for the saints in the church. Notice that Paul is not talking about what he has witnessed in their lives. No, indeed! He’s speaking of what he has heard about their witness.
Memorial Day is a sacred time because it also, when observed properly, is a day where stories are told and memories shared of those who are no longer with us. Stories that serve not only to educate us but also inspire us. Stories that draw us into an attitude of humility, realizing the cost of those we celebrate on this sacred day. Stories that remind us that every generation has a responsibility to those in our past and those in our future.
Notice what Paul does immediately after acknowledging the faith of which he has heard so much - he moves into two distinct actions:
First, he gives thanks for them. Although, from the evidence it seems Paul did not know them, he is grateful for their faithfulness AND their love towards the saints of the church. In the hyper-competitive world of American Christianity, where it seems everyone wants to latch on to the next greatest thing that has helped the church down the street just blow-and-go, I think upon hearing of the faithfulness of the church to which Paul was writing, we would want to read a book they published, or duplicate everything they are doing, or try to hire a key staffer to infuse our place so we get the same results they did. Paul simply gave thanks for their witness. He was full of gratitude for their faithfulness.
Secondly, Paul prays for them. What is truly neat about Paul’s prayer for them is found in its specificity. He prays that God might bless them with specific gifts so they may grow in their faith. We would do well to draw upon the example of Paul’s intentionality when it comes to prayer - especially involving others.
As we observe Memorial Day, I think it is safe to say the first thing we mentioned, giving thanks, comes quite naturally. Giving thanks in prayer for those who died in service to others is one hundred percent appropriate. However, let us not so casually and easily goin with a garden-variety, “Thanks for their sacrifice prayer.” Let us take the example of Paul, who, when he heard of greatness on the part of others was full of thanksgiving for specific reasons.
Finally, we would be remiss if we did not take a moment in our Memorial Day Observance to remember those left behind to grieve and treasure the memories of those who died in the line of duty in service to others. Let us remember the widows and widowers, the parents and children, and all others for whom this day is especially poignant because the wound of the loss of their loved one still rubs raw - whether it was recently or way back in the day. May our prayer be for peace and strength in this time of mourning.