Monday, May 29, 2017
Building People of Substance for Works of Power
A Day of Remembrance, Friend.
Memorial Day. It’s an American holiday, originally intended to honor the memory of Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. It was first officially celebrated on May 30, 1868, at the order of General John Logan, head of an organization of Union veterans. At that first ceremony, Ohio Congressman James Garfield proclaimed these words: ““We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”
Those words ring true today. When it seems our institutions are shaken to the foundations, that men and women have forgotten the honor of living and dying for a larger purpose, when we struggle to have a civil dialogue based on common values, I pray we can take a day to remember that many have sacrificed to allow others to walk free. That is an honorable thing. Remember these numbers:
Fatalities in U.S. Wars and Conflicts
American Revolution (1775-1783) 4,435
War of 1812 (1812-1815) 2,260
Mexican War (1846-1848) 13,283
Civil War (1861-1865) 620,000
Spanish-American War (1898-1902) 385
World War I (1917-1918) 116,516
World War II (1941-1945) 405,399
Korean War (1950-1953) 36,574
Vietnam War (1964-1975) 58,220
Gulf War (1990-1991) 383
Afghanistan War (2001-present) 2,381
Iraq War (2003-2012) 4,500
I pray that we have new generations of men and women dedicated to the common values that spawned our nation, and the common trust in God that has kept us afloat.
Somebody Said: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” President John F. Kennedy, 1961
Scripture Reading: Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. (Romans 13:7 NKJV)
It’s a good day to honor all those who have given their lives so we can live free. If there is nothing more valuable than life, then life is of little value.
Have a blessed Memorial Day,
Pastor Virgil L. Stokes
Faith Christian Fellowship of Tucson
www.fcftucson.org
Office: 520-792-3238
Mobile: 520-403-7184
Visit our online presence at www.fcftucson.org
pastorvirgil.com 