For the greatest love of all is the love that sacrifices all. John 15:13
One of the movies that brings to light the tremendous dedication, courage, and sacrifice of soldiers everywhere is the 2002 film We Were Soldiers which was based on the true story of the 1965 Battle of la Drang in Vietnam. A U.S. battalion led by Lt. Colonel Hal Moore is drawn into a trap that leads to an extended bloody battle and heavy loss of lives.
Colonel Moore’s speech to his troops before the battle has always touched me and represented the true heart of America’s finest. He said in part, “We’re moving into the valley of the shadow of death – where you will watch the back of the person next to you and they will watch yours. They say we are leavin’ home. We are goin’ to what home was always supposed to be. We are going into battle against a tough and determined enemy. I can’t promise you that I will bring you home alive. But this I swear before you and Almighty God: when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off. I will leave no one behind.”
At the end of President Ronald Reagan’s memorial service in 2004, the U.S. Armed Forces Chorus combined with the U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra to perform a beautiful rendition of the song Mansions of the Lord written by Randall Wallace. It is a beautiful tribute to men and women who served and are serving in our armed forces.
The words are: To fallen soldiers let us sing. Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing. Our broken brothers let us bring, to the mansions of the Lord. No more bleeding no more fight; No more prayers pleading through the night. Just divine embrace, eternal light. In the mansions of the Lord.
Memorial Day is so much more than the beginning of summer, picnics, and a day away from work. It is a day to honor, remember, and cherish our freedom and those who gave everything to defend it.
Originally known as Decorations Day, Memorial Day originated in the years following the Civil War. It didn’t become an official holiday until 1971. After the Civil War, the loss of life was so great that it became necessary to establish the country’s first national cemeteries. On this day across our land, many families will forego the picnics and the celebrations in order to visit the graves of those they knew and loved who sacrificed everything for our freedom and liberty.
Liberty is defined as the state of being free within a society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political view. In 1775 in Williamsburg, Virginia, in an effort to encourage the Second Virginia Convention in the upcoming battles for freedom Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death”. This Memorial Day we honor those who lived by that motto which includes veterans of all wars.
This year is especially meaningful to us because this year we lost one of our special veteran friends who gave so much to his country, his community, his church, his friends, and his God. Mike Boyce’s loss made us all more aware of the sacrifices made by so many who have come before us, and their contribution to the liberty and freedom that we enjoy.
Remembrance is a value which is elevated throughout the scriptures, and one that is necessary for our faith. Without it, the foundation of our relationship with God begins to erode. History is important in every family, community, country, and church. Throughout the Bible, we find references to monuments, memorial feasts, and ritually repeated stories which serve to reinforce the remembrance of God’s people. These narratives are there so that we, as Christians, will not forget what God has done for us throughout time. Forgetting to remember the sacrifices, the trials, the value of our heritage, and the source of our blessings, makes it likely that we will begin to take for granted all that we are and all that we have.
When the prophets called upon God’s people and told them to remember the works that the Lord had done in the past, it was to prepare them for the future. They were asked to remember the wonders of the past so that their lives would be open to even greater wonders that God would do for them in the future.
Just as the laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a memorial to those who gave their lives for this country, The Lord’s Supper is a great example of how we should remember God and our faith. It reminds us of the sacrificial love of our God. It is a love that will not let us go but rather reaches out to us. It is a memorial that reinforces our hopeful memory.
With Memorial Day upon us, it’s a time to think of the past and those who have sacrificed. We as Christians believe that there are great things yet to come for those of faith who have already died. We live in the light of the resurrection and know that those deaths will not be the end. Those brave men and women lost to us have entered into the Mansions of the Lord.