Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”
Our Bible verse for today: “No one has greater love than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Freedom is not free. Many paid the ultimate price to defend our nation.”
Today is Memorial Day and in honor of those who have died defending our nation, instead of writing something about our theme for the month, today I want to devote a few sentences to the subject of this special day.
Memorial Day is often confused with Veteran’s Day. Veteran’s Day is celebrated in November and its purpose is to show national appreciation for all those who have ever served in the Armed Forces of our nation. Memorial Day however, is specifically intended to pay tribute to those members of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in the service of our country.
Traditionally observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It began shortly after the Civil War when towns and cities in both the North and the South paid tribute to those who had given their lives on both sides of that conflict. The graves of the dead soldiers were decorated, parades were held in their honor, and patriotic speeches were given.
By the 1880’s the spontaneous individual observances of Decoration Day had spread to become a national holiday. Over time, as our nation became involved in more wars, the dead from all of those conflicts were included in the memorial celebrations. Eventually it came to include all members of the Armed Forces who have ever lost their lives in the service of our country, whether through combat related injuries or not. If a person died while on active duty in the Armed Forces then that individual is to be honored on Decoration / Memorial Day.
The title “Memorial Day” seems to have taken root in the public mind slowly over many decades but was finally made official by President Johnson in 1967.
Please take some time today to honor those who have died while serving in the Armed Forces of our country. The phrase “Freedom isn’t free” is so over-used it has become a cliché. And yet, it is profoundly true. The freedoms we enjoy in our nation remain the envy of the world, but they came to us at the cost of great courage and must sacrifice (The Revolutionary War), and those freedoms have been maintained through the centuries at the cost of much more courage and sacrifice. Freedom is not free. Many have paid the ultimate price for it. The rest of us get to live in peace and safety thanks to what they did for us. Remember them today.
God Bless,
Oak Hill Baptist Church 