MEMORIAL DAY

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Poignant words found in John 15:13 spoken by the one who understood personal sacrifice for others like no one else ever had nor ever will.

Across America many different scenes are unfolding at this very moment. On the one hand, families and individuals are gathering supplies, preparing grills and looking forward to a day of fun and activities. They will enjoy the freedom gained and protected by the blood, sweat and tears of those fallen in defense of this nation.  On the other hand, there are millions who are gathering flowers, pouring over photos and feeling a very personal sting of loss of a loved one, especially those who are just days, weeks or months from the tragic moment of loss.

Working and living part-time in Washington D.C. offers me a unique experience and framework for this special day. As I headed to the airport on my way home to Florida a couple of days ago there were already many people on the National Mall starting the Memorial Day preparations. I saw a group of ROTC in uniform standing around a flag while being instructed by their leader, and just a few yards away, a family preparing to have a picnic. There were groups of veterans on motorcycles beginning their weekend-long rides through the city. Overhead, two Blue and White Hueys thundered above, transporting  Washington power players to their destination, as I watched with special appreciation as we passed by the WW2 Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. Crossing the Potomac headed to Reagan National, I could easily see the Pentagon, the towering 9/11 Memorial and off in the distance, Arlington Cemetery. I felt a mix of emotions as I prayed for this nation and for those who have died defending it.

Deuteronomy 6:12 begins with these though-provoking words: “be careful that you do not forget…” solemn words of caution. On this day our nation pauses to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. “Greater love” calls for greater remembrance. For mothers who wipe a tear, grandparents whose hearts are troubled, grieving wives, children, friends and fellow soldiers of those who are now gone, we pray for your comfort: “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace”. And for those whose lives were laid down for the freedoms we celebrate this day, we pray: “Lord, receive into Your care those who in dedication to this nation have expressed greater love by laying down their lives. Amen.” Blessed are You o Lord our God, who brings peace to a humble heart, now grant Your peace to all cities and nations of this world and most especially, to Jerusalem. Amen.

TOES-IN-THE-SAND DELIBERATIONS

The standards of reasoning together and responsible dialogue have sunk so low we now live in a media driven culture that seemingly cannot distinguish between an arsonist and a firefighter or differentiate an anarchist from a protester.

Chats at the workplace water cooler or neighborhood cookout are now supercharged by 24/7 agenda-driven "news" which is more often than not, poorly sourced, ridiculously exaggerated, breathlessly delivered, and bathed in extremely judgmental partisanship. Don't get me wrong. I too, have strong opinions and moral certitude; I just long for more respect and something more than sound bytes and zingers in in public discourse. 

Frankly, I miss the easygoing, but often deep "rap sessions" of my youth. I long for the feel of "all-over-the-place" banter around a dying campfire. I learned a lot in after-midnight dialogue over lousy coffee at Denny's, or "toes-in-the-sand" deliberations while slouching in foldable lawn chairs as the tide rolls in. Same issues. Same differences, same disagreement of opinions, just nicer, more human conversations. I am convinced that needed debate can be devoid of snide remarks and unfair categorization of others who may disagree. Maybe we need to take the high road and have these debates among ourselves and let others blather on without us. Sounds kind of nice.

WHY IS VIOLENT HATRED REWARDED?

One of my dear friends, Rebekah Reinstein, is greatly loved by so many who know her because of her huge heart and honest transparency. She recently shared her pain so powerfully I have nothing of value to add, so let me simply pass them along to you:

“This is so discouraging...How can anyone look at our situation with the Arabs and say: "everyone is playing nice" and "we should preserve the status quo". Just because there have been fewer successful terror attacks does not mean that there is a decline in attempted attacks. We are living among those who have sworn to annihilate us. The Palestinians continue to indoctrinate their youth towards violence and the PA continues encourage terrorism by paying the families of murders.

 
The status quo is this: the Arabs are stealing land and building all around us illegally while we have instituted a building freeze. We do not have authority of our most holy site and we sit idly by as our antiquities are pillaged and trashed. The status quo is not peace; it is holding our breath waiting for the next attack.

Why do our leaders fear provoking the Palestinians? They don't need an excuse to riot, ram and stab. Their status quo is teaching, inciting, paying for and praising terror. Why is this behavior being rewarded???”

Unvarnished words, penetrating words, haunting words.

SHARP AXES

America is at a point never before seen; we have the highest level of sharp axes than at any point in the history of this Great Nation. You would think that it would have been in our pioneering past we would have seen an upsurge in sharp axes, but in fact, people were busy with so many other things like growing and harvesting food, making their own clothes, fending off predators and the like, their axes were only sharpened on an as needed basis. But today, things are quite different indeed.

Today across America, no matter what people will be doing, they will be simultaneously grinding an ax. It is truly amazing. Who ever said double tasking is inefficient? Why, we now do everything while grinding an ax about something else. I suppose this is progress. However I do have one concern, our minds and hearts are growing more dull while our axes grow sharper. So friends, be careful out there, sharp axes cut deeply and dull minds are quite careless. Keep your head and have a great day!

INTELLEGENT LIFE?

Updated 11:51 PM ET, Wed February 22, 2017, CNN reporter Ashley Strickland writes “Astronomers have found at least seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the same star 40 light-years away, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. The findings were also announced at a news conference at NASA Headquarters in Washington. This discovery outside of our solar system is rare because the planets have the winning combination of being similar in size to Earth and being all temperate, meaning they could have water on their surfaces and potentially support life.”

Wow, the possibility of discovering intelligent life on another planet certainly is fascinating. However, I would personally be even more interested in finding intelligent life on earth. Frankly it is my theory that whatever intelligent life we have garnered on our planet up until now is quickly slipping away. Just watch the news for theoretical verification. Lord, have mercy upon us.

SURE, MAKES SENSE TO ME

Bradley Edward Manning is the United States Army soldier who disclosed nearly three-quarters of a million classified and sensitive military and diplomatic documents. A significant portion of the material was disclosed directly to WikiLeaks and was published by them and its media partners between April and November 2010. In July of 2013 Manning was convicted by court-martial of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses. He could have received a death sentence, but was sentenced to serve a 35-year sentence at the maximum-security U.S Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth.

The former intelligence analyst's prison sentence has now been shortened to expire on May 17, 2017, according to a statement from the White House. This commutation was issued along with 208 others.

So, let’s see…President Obama, who has justifiably questioned the possible interference of Russia with our most recent election through WikiLeaks, as one of his last acts as Commander in Chief, has now commuted the sentence of Manning. Convicted of a total of 21charges of espionage and leaking secret material to WikiLeaks, he will now go free after serving 7 years of his 35-year sentence. Sure…makes sense to me.

A BEAUTIFUL DREAM

On August 28, 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech that helped transform a nation. On April 4, 1968 Dr. King paid the ultimate price for his peaceful war on hatred and segregation, being killed by a single shot from an assassin. But his vision of a different and better America for all its citizens resonated with both supporters and antagonists alike. Unmitigated truth has a way of cutting through the darkness of deception and giving strength and resolve to do what is right. The words “I have a dream” were not in his written speech, they were an ad-libbed addition from the heart. Those words rattled preconceived notions and authorized dreaming of a better nation, a better world. His poignant words ring as true today as they did that day on the Washington Mall: "It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment...And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.''' I too, have a dream…and a commitment to the its full manifestation. Thank you Dr. King for your inspiration, your example, your words and your sacrifice. This nation and this world owe you a great debt.