As we prepare for Memorial Day
this coming Monday many of us will be paying a visit to a beautiful, tranquil
cemetery to decorate the graves of our loved ones. The Eidsvold
Cemetery
Memorial
Day originated in the aftermath of the Civil War when large cemeteries were
placed next to the battlefields. One of
the greatest speeches in American history, President Lincoln’s Gettysburg
Address, was delivered at the dedication of one such cemetery. These cemeteries were often far from the
places the soldiers had called home, so few relatives and friends could easily
visit. It fell to those living nearby to
honor the dead with decorations and visits.
Thus began the observance of an annual Memorial Day.
Today
Memorial Day is observed by all Americans, military and civilian, and is a time
for people to remember their loved ones with visits and decoration of their
graves. But when visiting these quiet
places it is good to remember that the origin of the holiday really began with
the din of battle, the roar of cannons, and the desperate cries of the wounded
and dying. The noise of battle preceded
the tranquility of those country cemeteries, and the stench of death preceded
the fragrance of lilacs in bloom at the end of May. Memorial Day is a time to be reminded of the
horrors of war and to rededicate ourselves to the benefits of peace.
In
every case when America
entered a war there was an expectation of a quick victory, except for World War
II which everyone knew would be a long, hard fight. In almost every case the war was longer, the
battle harder, and the casualties higher than expected. This has happened time and again, and yet
each new generation seems to forget this unchanging truth: once a war begins it
spins out of the control of those who began it.
The
injunction to “seek peace and pursue it” in 1st Peter 3:11 applies not only to interpersonal
relations but to international relations as well. This Memorial Day as we enjoy peaceful visits
to quiet cemeteries, and as we remember the lives of those who have left this
earthly coil, let us pray for peace on earth and do what we can as citizens and
as voters to realize the vision of Isaiah 2:4 when
they shall beat their swords into
ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
Pastor Gary Halverson
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