Memorial Day Reflections

Memorial Day was established to create a time for the people of this great land to step back and reflect on the men and women who have made the supreme sacrifice in the defense of this country we all love. As I think about this special day, I always think of my father and five uncles who fought in WWII. I also think of my classmates who went to Viet Nam during my youth. I mention these two without any intention to ignore those who have fought in other conflicts, Korea, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflicts in which our nation has been involved. I think not only of those who made the ultimate sacrifice but also of those who came home changed forever by what they had witnessed. As I reflect on these men and women, I sometimes fill a taste of guilt in my own heart, because I didn’t have to serve. Knowing they went in my place makes me even more appreciative of their sacrifice.

As we give thanks for the men and women who have served or who are serving in our military, it is important for us to reflect upon another battle that has been raging for years. It will not be won on foreign battlefields but it will be won or lost in the hearts of individuals. While many try to remain neutral, all will be deeply affected by the outcome. It is a war for the moral soul of America. It is not a new war. It has been continuing for many decades. It is a war between those who support a worldview of society that is free from moral absolutes and those who support a view of society that is based on moral absolutes given to us by our heavenly Creator.

There is much more involved here than people realize. In my opinion, it is a war about survival. If we choose to discard all moral absolutes and continue down the trail of situation morality, we will go the way of the powerful nations in the past who indulged themselves in self gratification. We will fall.

The time for being neutral in this conflict is over. The outcome is too important to sit on the sidelines and watch. It is time for each one of us to decide what kind of America we want our children and grand children to inherit and how much are we willing to sacrifice for them to have it. It is time that we heed the choice give to Israel by Joshua: “And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…. but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15 NASB).