Today, Remember

You. Yes, you, with your steady pulse, with your breath, with your mind in neutral, placidly reading these words. This must mean you’re still alive. Nice, isn’t it? Most of us take living for granted, and why not? We get up and tackle the day like we have since we were born. It gets old and weary after awhile, at least sometimes, right? “I’ll be glad when this day is finally done,” and “This is the longest day of my life,” and “another day, another dollar.” Man, some days should never have happened, but they did, so we just have to live through it and move on.

Now, round about this time I could turn this article into a reminder of all the men and women who lost their lives defending our freedom. It is Memorial Day, isn’t it? Time to reflect on those brave few who paid the ultimate sacrifice. It’s the one day a year when everyone is suppose to acknowledge the warriors who confronted the forces of evil head on and died as a result of it.  The President of the United States goes to Arlington Cemetery, lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and says a few words in honor of all those deceased soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Then the crowd disperses, we turn off our televisions and go outside to barbeque in the warm May sun and celebrate the beginning of summer. Good for another year.  What a sad day, but not too late to turn it around. Here’s a bun, here’s a Frisbee, light up these fireworks, let freedom ring.

Truth is, my friend, there are more than just American soldiers dying for freedom. Do you know who Lee Rigby was? His widow can tell you. He was brutally murdered in the street just last week in Woolwich, Great Britain. You know, the one whose blood was drying on the killer’s hands as the monster made his little speech in front of a camera. While you’re watching CNN broadcast Obama shuffling forward with a huge wreath, think about Lee, too. I know, he’s not American, but hear me out. There’s a war going on all over the world, with a vicious enemy that openly wants to kill us all. They are in your city, fermenting their hate, biding their time, waiting for just the right moment to strike so as to inflict as much carnage as possible. 

This is a war that of ideology, and it is bigger than all the armies of the world. Those of us who don’t share their twisted belief, their warped interpretation of scripture, their Caliphate mentality, their Sharia law, we are all targets, every last one of us, and that makes us all soldiers whether we like it or not. Did you know that over three hundred people have been killed by al-Qaeda in just the past two weeks in Iraq?  Kabul, Bangaldesh, Paris, Beirut – everywhere, reader! To the families of this widespread violence, Memorial Day is every day.  The surviving husbands, wives, children and parents will tell you their loved one was a true soldier of decency and compassion who wanted little more than to make it through each day.  Today I remember the lives stolen by those who wish only to destroy us.

A newspaper article today said that Memorial Day is evolving. Let me help it with this proposition. Let Memorial Day belong to the world. Let it stand for all of us whose lives were snuffed out by the agents of evil. Remember the words of Ephesians 6:12 – “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” It is time we raise our heads and look around at all the poor souls who died for nothing more than the chance to live. It is time we gave this day of remembrance to every nation, to every citizen of this planet, to every voice that cries out in grief. Let us make Memorial Day a global event. And then, perhaps someday we can take a moment out of every day to pause and honor those who have given the ultimate price for decency and freedom. I guarantee you it will transform your day into one of gratitude; it will strengthen you against the coming battles.